[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1549-E1550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            MORATORIUM ON LARGE FISHING VESSELS IN ATLANTIC

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 28, 1997

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1855, 
placing a moratorium on large fishing vessels in the Atlantic mackerel 
and herring fisheries.
  Mackerel is a world-wide fishery. European countries have mismanaged 
and over-fished

[[Page E1550]]

their mackerel fishery, and are now turning to the United States 
mackerel fishery for production. As a result, market prices have 
increased substantially, and there is new market pressure to fish for 
mackerel. This has created opportunity and incentive for U.S. companies 
to develop our fishery.
  Congress must prevent the unregulated expansion of fishing capacity 
with this temporary, emergency measure, until the National Marine 
Fisheries Service can do a stock assessment on Atlantic herring and 
mackerel; and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery management councils time to set 
sound fishery management plans. As the east coast fishery industry 
responds and develops under these new pressures, we must prevent over-
capitalization of this unknown fishery. The alternative is to invite 
possible long-term economic and environmental harm.
  Mr. Speaker, permitting the introduction of large factory trawlers 
into our fishery could mean repeating the mistakes of the past. Codfish 
and haddock were over-fished by U.S. vessels after the implementation 
of the Magnuson Act in 1976. Now large fishing vessels, with capacities 
exceeding 50 metric tons per year, are ready to enter these fisheries 
to pursue new high prices. Some of them plan to begin harvesting as 
early as this fall.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1855, and 
temporarily prevent large fishing vessels from entering the Atlantic 
mackerel and herring fisheries, until policies that will prevent them 
from exhausting our resources can be developed.

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