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

      By Mr. HATFIELD:
  S. 1499. A bill to amend the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 
1986 to provide for direct and indirect assistance for certain persons 
engaged in commercial fisheries, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


                the fishing families relief act of 1995

  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, the Pacific Northwest has been presented 
with a number of significant challenges in the last decade. Most 
recently, heavy rains and winds in excess of 100 miles per hour ravaged 
the Oregon coast and the Willamette Valley. Additionally, the timber 
and fishing industries, which once constituted a substantial portion of 
Oregon's economy, have been severely restricted in recent years. Many 
individuals involved in those industries have been forced to find 
alternative sources of employment.
  In 1994, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] 
and the Pacific Northwest States initiated three programs to mitigate 
the financial hardship caused by the total closure of the coastal 
salmon fishing season. These programs were designed to assist the 
fishers impacted by the closing and include: a permit buyback program--
Washington State only; a habitat restoration jobs program; and a data 
collection and at sea research jobs program. Both jobs programs 
employed over 100 dislocated fishers while contributing to the 
improvement of fishery habitat. NOAA has approved the request of the 
Governors of Oregon and Washington for an additional $13 million to 
continue these programs for a second year.
  The changes in the Interjurisdicitonal Fisheries Act made by the 
legislation I am introducing today would allow these three programs to 
continue working for dislocated fishers who are severely limited in 
their ability to earn a living through commercial fishing. The current 
language restricts the number of dislocated fishers who have been 
eligible to participate in these programs. Additionally, fishers may 
lose the eligibility to participate in the programs due to the 
uninsured loss determination and the cap on assistance.
  Mr. President, this legislation does not seek additional Federal 
funds for these important assistance programs. However, it does attempt 
to find ways to spend Federal dollars in a more effective and flexible 
manner, with broader participation from those the funds are intended to 
serve. This legislation will also be beneficial for the fishing 
industries in the Northeast and the Gulf Coast areas. I urge my 
colleagues to give their full consideration to this attempt to restore 
economic stability to the fisherman of Oregon and the Pacific 
Northwest.

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