[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1855 Referred in Senate (RFS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H.R. 1855


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 1997

    Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To establish a moratorium on large fishing vessels in Atlantic herring 
                        and mackerel fisheries.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. MORATORIUM.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any provision of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et 
seq.), no large fishing vessel may engage in fishing for Atlantic 
herring or Atlantic mackerel within the United States exclusive 
economic zone until--
            (1) the National Marine Fisheries Service has completed a 
        new population survey into the abundance of the discrete 
        spawning stocks of Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel; and
            (2) the Secretary of Commerce has approved and implemented 
        fishery management plans developed by the appropriate regional 
        fishery management council for Atlantic herring and Atlantic 
        mackerel, which specifically allow large fishing vessels to 
        participate in those fisheries.
    (b) Large Fishing Vessel Defined.--In this section, the term 
``large fishing vessel''--
            (1) except as provided in paragraph (2), means a fishing 
        vessel (as that term is defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-
        Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1802)) of the United States that is equal to or greater than 
        165 feet in length overall and has an engine of more than 3,000 
        horsepower; and
            (2) does not include such a vessel that engages only in 
        processing fish harvested by fishing vessels of the United 
        States.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.