[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 23, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H3687-H3689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COOPERATIVE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1996
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2160) to authorize appropriations to carry out the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 and the
[[Page H3688]]
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2160
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cooperative Fisheries
Management Act of 1996''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF INTERJURISDICTIONAL FISHERIES ACT
OF 1986.
Section 308 of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of
1986 (16 U.S.C. 4107) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) General Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of Commerce for apportionment
to carry out the purposes of this title--
``(1) $3,400,000 for fiscal year 1996;
``(2) $3,900,000 for fiscal year 1997; and
``(3) $4,400,000 for fiscal year 1998.'';
(2) in subsection (c) by striking ``$350,000 for each of
the fiscal years 1989, 1990 1991, 1992, and 1993, and
$600,000 for each of the fiscal years 1994 and 1995,'' and
inserting ``$650,000 for fiscal year 1996, $700,000 for
fiscal year 1997, an $750,000 for fiscal year 1998,''; and
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) in the heading by striking ``Grants'' and inserting
``Assistance'';
((B) in paragraph (1) by striking ``award grants to person
engaged in commercial fisheries, for uninsured losses
determined by the Secretary to have been suffered'' and
inserting ``help persons engaged in commercial fisheries,
either by providing assistance directly to those persons or
by providing assistance indirectly through State and local
government agencies and nonprofit organizations, for projects
or other measures to alleviate harm determined by the
Secretary to have been incurred'';
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``a grant'' and inserting
``direct assistance to a person'';
(D) in paragraph (3) by striking ``gross revenues
annually,'' and inserting ``net revenues annually from
commercial fishing,'';
(E) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
``(4)(A) Assistance may not be provided under this
subsection as part of a fishing capacity reduction program in
a fishery unless the Secretary determines that adequate
conservation and management measures are in place to rebuild
the fishery over a reasonable time period.
``(B) As a condition of awarding assistance with respect to
a vessel under a fishing capacity reduction program, the
Secretary shall--
``(i) prohibit the vessel from being used for fishing; and
``(ii) require that the vessel be--
``(I) scrapped or otherwise disposed of in a manner
approved by the Secretary; or
``(II) donated to a nonprofit organization and thereafter
used only for purposes of research, education, or training.
``(C) A vessel that is prohibited from fishing under
subparagraph (B) shall not be eligible for a fishery
endorsement under section 12108(a) of title 46, United States
Code, and any such endorsement for the vessel shall not be
effective.''; and
(F) in paragraph (5) by striking ``for awarding grants''
and all that follows through the end of the paragraph and
inserting ``for receiving assistance under this
subsection.''.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE ANADROMOUS FISH CONSERVATION
ACT.
Section 4 of the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (16
U.S.C. 757d) is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 4. (a)(1) There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out the purposes of this Act not to exceed the
following sums:
``(A) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1996 and 1997.
``(B) $4,250,000 for fiscal year 1998.
``(2) Sums appropriated under this subsection are
authorized to remain available until expended.
``(b) Not more than $625,000 of the funds appropriated
under this section in any one fiscal year shall be obligated
in any one State.''.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENT TO THE FISHERIES ACT OF 1995.
Section 309(b) of the Fisheries Act of 1995 (Public Law
104-43) is amended by striking ``July 1, 1996'' and inserting
``July 1,1997''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Massachusetts [Mr. Torkildsen] and the gentleman from Massachusetts
[Mr. Studds] will each be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr.
Torkildsen].
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2160, the Cooperative Fisheries Management Act of
1995 reauthorizes two important fisheries laws: the Interjurisdictional
Fisheries Act of 1986 and the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.
Both these laws help coordinate the management of species that
migrate between Federal and State waters, as well as those species
migrating between neighboring States' waters. With the reauthorization
of these two laws, we will provide much needed resources to States to
coordinate the management of these migrating species of fish.
In addition, this legislation allows the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to release disaster assistance funds in New
England, the Northwest, and the Gulf of Mexico. It is important to note
that these disaster assistance funds have already been appropriated and
this bill only makes legislative changes to allow the money to be used
in the regional assistance programs.
For example, NOAA is conducting a vessel buy-out program in the
Northeast to reduce fishing capacity. Currently, NOAA is limited to
purchasing vessels valued under $100,000. This does not allow NOAA to
buy-out the larger vessels, which tend to catch more fish, and are
often valued at well over $100,000. During the pilot vessel buy-out
program, over 95 percent of the 114 voluntary bids received were over
$100,000. This legislation lifts this cap to allowing NOAA to include
the vast majority of fishing vessels in this buy-out program.
Additionally, this bill changes the term ``gross revenues'' to
``net revenues from commercial fishing.'' This change will allow the
New England buy-out program to target high-liners and large vessels
which might not be eligible because the vessel owner earned too much
money either from fishing or from other related ventures. This type of
large, successful vessel may be the very type of vessel we need to
remove from the fishery. This change will allow NOAA the flexibility to
target those vessels which have had the most impact on groundfish
stocks, buy them out, and remove them from the fishery.
H.R. 2160, assures that vessels bought under this program will be
removed from fishing in any fishery, including State waters, by
invalidating the commercial fishing endorsement on the Coast Guard
documentation for any vessel participating in the buy-out program.
Vessels purchased through this buy-out program must either be scrapped,
disposed of in a manner approved by the Secretary, or donated to a
nonprofit for the purposes of education, training or research.
As I previously stated this bill also makes legislative changes
allowing NOAA to expend the much needed disaster assistance funding in
the Northwest and the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr. Speaker, fishing families in my district, and throughout the
country, are struggling to adjust to new Federal restrictions on
groundfishing. And while some new regulations are necessary, we in
Congress have an obligation to assist fishing families survive the
difficult transition period ahead.
This bill takes several steps to provide relief to fishing families
who have never asked for anything more than the chance to make an
honest living.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this important legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill which reauthorizes
appropriations for two small, but important Federal grants programs,
the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act and the Anadromous Fish
Conservation Act.
These two acts authorize grants to States to encourage them to
develop cooperative agreements, research, and management plans to
conserve and protect anadromous and other coastal fishery resources.
These are not new programs. Both have been successfully implemented for
many years, and both share broad support among State and Federal
fisheries management agencies and the three interstate fisheries
management commissions.
In addition, the bill authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to
implement a vessel buyout program to reduce over-capacity in the
decimated New England groundfish fishery. This buyout will be an
integral part of the effort to rebuild the stocks in New England, but
it will not do the entire job. For that reason, the bill also requires
that a rebuilding plan, recently developed by the New England Fishery
Management Council, must be approved by the Secretary before the buyout
may proceed.
This is a noncontroversial bill that extends two programs which have
enjoyed years of success and ensures that taxpayer dollars spent on a
buyout in New England will achieve the desired
[[Page H3689]]
results. I ask Members to support it passage.
Mr. Speaker, to the best of my knowledge, there are no further
figleaves at the moment on this side, although I must say to the
gentleman I find it difficult to picture either Venus or Neptune so
attired. Maybe we are immune here.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of a fig leaf-free
Congress, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New
Jersey [Mr. Saxton].
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for being here today
to manage this bill and for the very important role that he played in
supporting this bill to get it here.
I would also like to say to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr.
Studds], I thank him for his very fine cooperation on this and many
other bills we have worked on together during his tenure here.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2160, the Cooperative
Fisheries Management Act. This legislation will reauthorize two
important fishery Acts: the Inter-jurisdictional Fisheries Act and the
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.
These two acts have done an exceptional job of getting the States,
the Federal Government, non-Federal interests and, in some cases,
foreign nations to cooperate in the management of transboundary fishery
resources.
Both of these acts use grant money to fund research done by the
States, interstate commissions, or other interested parties. This
allows us to gain a greater understanding of the resource and improve
our management techniques.
By reauthorizing these acts, we are demonstrating our commitment to
the survival and longevity of these unique fishery resources. Without
cooperative management, these resources will likely become depleted,
and some species could become extinct. I think it is important to note
that we have reduced authorization levels for both of these programs by
almost 50 percent.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important piece of legislation and I urge my
colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H.R. 2160.
{time} 1630
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Maine [Mr. Longley].
Mr. LONGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak on behalf of the act. I
think the bill authorizes two important fisheries management laws, the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 and the Anadromous Fish
Conservation Act. These laws promote, through grant programs,
coordination between State and Federal agencies in the management of
migrating species of fish.
H.R. 2160, in addition, will allow for the expenditure of already
appropriated disaster relief money in the Northwest, the Gulf of
Mexico, and for a vessel buyout program in New England.
Mr. Speaker, I end my remarks by urging Members to support this bill,
but with a particular reference to the very difficult time that many of
the fishermen from Maine are having dealing with the depletion of the
species and the need to restore our stocks. There is a limited amount
that the Federal Government can do, but we are trying to do what we can
to provide some relief to the fishermen that are under such distress.
So, again, I compliment my colleagues from Massachusetts on both
sides of the aisle for their efforts in support of this legislation.
Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
say that I have no further requests for time, and I note the return of
a bipartisan comity down here, and I am tempted to call up a number of
other bills but I will resist.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume to say, in closing, I would like to applaud my colleague from
Massachusetts as ranking member of the subcommittee, also in his
previous role as chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and
Fisheries, a very, very strong advocate of this program and many other
programs, both to protect the environment and to assist fishing
families. We certainly appreciate the spirit in which he has offered
many pro-environmental and pro-fishing pieces of legislation, and we
will certainly miss that contribution to the House Chamber when he
retires at the end of this year.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to applaud the effort of our colleague from
New Jersey, the chairman of the subcommittee, for the leadership he has
shown in bringing this important legislation to the floor. Again, on
behalf of the environment, on behalf of States managing coastal areas,
I urge all Members to vote for this legislation.
Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2160,
the Cooperative Fisheries Management Act. Oregon's fishermen and women
who have been devastated by plummeting salmon populations will benefit
greatly from this bill.
The bill accomplishes three important goals. First, the bill will
allow emergency Federal assistance for fishery disasters to be provided
directly to the fishers affected. Second, the measure eliminates the
current cap which limits the amount of disaster assistance a fisher may
receive. And finally, the bill will eliminate the $100,000 limit on
assistance to any individual.
While not a cure for the complex problem of restoring the world-class
salmon runs of the Pacific Northwest, this bill will help alleviate
some of the hardships felt by displaced fishers. In short, H.R. 2160
helps cut out the road blocks and redtape in the fishing disaster
relief program.
In August 1995, we were fortunate enough to receive a multimillion
dollar assistance package for Northwest salmon fishers who had been
hard-hit by the collapse of fishery resources from the effects of El
Nino and drought. Passage of this legislation will ensure that we can
distribute these funds in a more efficient manner and gain the most
relief per dollar for struggling Northwest fishing communities.
I greatly appreciate the leadership of Chairman Young and
Representative Studds on this legislation and their willingness to
honor the requests of Pacific Northwest legislators like myself to move
this bill quickly so that fishers in our districts can benefit
immediately from its provisions.
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Upton). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Torkildsen] that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2160, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is
not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule I, and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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