[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 206 (Thursday, December 21, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S19117-S19121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. 
        Kennedy):
  S. 1498. A bill to authorize appropriations to carry out the 
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


        the interjurisdictional fisheries amendments act of 1995

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I, along with my colleague on the 
Commerce Committee, Senator Kerry, am introducing the 
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Amendments Act of 1995. I am pleased to 
also have Senators Cohen and Kennedy joining us as cosponsors in this 
effort.
  Congress passed the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act in 1986 to 
promote the management of interjurisdictional fisheries resources 
throughout their range, and to encourage and promote active State 
participation in the management of these important resources. The act 
provides modest funding to the States and interstate marine fishery 
commissions to assist with research and management activities, with the 
underlying objective being the development and maintenance of healthy, 
robust fish stocks. The act also authorizes aid to commercial fishermen 
who have suffered losses as a result of fishery resource disasters.
  The bill that we are introducing today extends the act's 
authorization through 1998. It reduces the authorized appropriations 
level for apportionment to the States, maintains the current overall 
authorization level for the Commerce Department, and provides a small 
increase in the authorization level for assistance to the interstate 
fishery management commissions.
  This bill also amends section 308(d) of the act, which deals with 
disaster assistance to commercial fishermen. Earlier this year, the 
Secretary of Commerce declared fishery resource disasters impacting 
commercial fishermen in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and the Gulf 
of Mexico, and he committed $53 million in already-appropriated funds 
to help mitigate the impacts of these disasters. In order to 
effectively operate these disaster relief programs, however, certain 
changes must be made in the act's grant-making authority.
  The current provision, for example, limits the kind of assistance 
available under section 308(d) to direct grants to individual fishermen 
or fishing corporations. But recent analysis of disaster relief 
strategies has revealed that, in some cases, aid to fishermen could be 
more efficiently and effectively provided if it is provided indirectly, 
through States, local governments, or nonprofit organizations, who in 
turn would operate programs to help fishermen. This bill amends the 
statute to allow for the provision of both direct and indirect forms of 
assistance.
  The bill also lifts the current $100,000 cap on aid to individual 
fishermen. This cap makes the operation of a fishing vessel buy-back 
program, like the one currently planned for the New England groundfish 
fishery, impossible. The purchase price for many vessels bought out 
under the program will exceed $100,000, and without a lifting of the 
cap, few fishermen will participate. Given the ongoing crisis in the 
New England groundfish industry, we need to move forward with an 
effective, comprehensive buy-back quickly, and passage of this 
amendment to section 308(d) is essential for us to do so.
  Mr. President, this bill will contribute to the improvement of 
conditions in interjurisdictional fisheries around the country, and it 
will assist fishing communities that are suffering the effects of 
fishery resource disasters. This is a bipartisan bill, and it will not 
require significant new federal expenditures. I hope that my colleagues 
will support the bill when the Senate considers it in the next session.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, today I join Senators Snowe, Kennedy, and 
Cohen in introducing the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Amendments Act 
of 1995. This legislation authorizes appropriations for State grants 
and Department of Commerce programs designed to manage 
interjurisdictional fisheries, and amends the Interjurisdictional 
Fisheries Act of 1986 to facilitate the use of available fisheries 
disaster relief funds.
  In 1986, we passed the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act to support 
State activities related to the management of fisheries occurring in 
waters under the jurisdiction of one or more States and the exclusive 
economic zone [EEZ], and to promote management of these fisheries 
throughout their range. This model establishes a mechanism for all who 
have a major interest in managing a fishery extending over several 
jurisdictions to work together to make key management decisions. It 
clearly works successfully. We must continue to support such 
cooperative partnerships.
  The bill introduced today also contains important provisions which 
will clear the way for dispersing previously appropriated economic 
assistance for fishing disaster relief in New England, the Gulf, and in 
the Pacific Northwest.
  In New England, this assistance will be used to alleviate the 
economic hardships caused by the collapse of the traditional groundfish 
fishery. The New England Fishery Management Council has closed 
significant areas of prime fishing grounds on Georges Bank and is now 
considering the adoption of stricter fishing restrictions to rebuild 
the groundfish stocks. Many New England fishermen can no longer draw a 
living from the sea as they have for years before. They, their 
families, and their communities face a severe economic crisis. I have 
supported, and will continue to support, a comprehensive approach to 
addressing this fishery disaster. The New England Fishery Management 
Council has a tough job ahead in designing a rebuilding program. While 
the Council continues to struggle with this issue, I have focused my 
efforts on providing economic assistance to the fishermen and the 
fishing communities during this crisis and rebuilding period.
  In March 1995, NOAA announced a $2.0 million pilot program to buy 
groundfish vessels and begin to address the problem of too many 
fishermen chasing too few fish. The program began in June of 1995, and 
on October 11, 1995, NOAA announced that it would be able to buy back 
13 vessels. Although the $2 million falls far short of the total amount 
needed for a full-scale buyout in New England, the pilot program 
answered many questions about the design, implementation, and potential 
success of an expanded vessel buyout program.
  The pilot program has demonstrated that fishing vessel owners are 
willing to participate in such a program--114 vessel owners applied to 
participate in the pilot program. If funding was available to accept 
all 114 offers received--totalling $52 million--groundfish fishing 
capacity could be decreased by more than 31 percent. This illustrates 
that such a program could be a successful way to reduce the 
overcapitalization in the groundfish fleet and may help ease the 
economic impact of the collapsed groundfish fishery and the strict 
conservation measures anticipated.
  The legislation we are introducing today amends the existing 
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 to facilitate the development 
of an expanded buyout program in New England. This would allow some 
fishermen to voluntarily leave the fishery, thereby reducing excess 
fishing capacity. As a condition of the program, the bill would require 
that adequate conservation and management measures be in place to 
restore the stocks and ensure no new boats enter the New England 
groundfish fishery. It would also expedite fishery disaster relief 
programs designed for the Gulf and the Pacific Northwest.

[[Page S19121]]

  I urge my colleagues to move quickly to pass the Interjurisdictional 
Fisheries Amendment Act of 1995.
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