[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TESTIMONY ON THE UNITED WE FISH RALLY

  (Mr. BROWN of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
fishermen from South Carolina who are traveling to Washington to 
participate in the United We Fish rally tomorrow. They will join 
thousands of fishermen from across the east coast to protest against 
the recent red snapper and shallow-water grouper ban and the proposed 
closing of nearly 10,000 square miles in the South Atlantic.
  The current ban not only threatens the jobs of recreation and 
commercial fishermen, but also small business owners that rely on the 
recreational fishing industry in coastal communities. Extending the ban 
would create further economic hardships in South Carolina as we 
currently suffer from one of the top five unemployment rates in the 
Nation.
  As a representative of 75 percent of the coastline of South Carolina, 
I will join my constituents at the United We Fish rally and push 
Congress to pass the Transparency in Job Loss from Fishery Closures Act 
of 2010, a comprehensive bill that instructs NOAA to reverse the 
harmful fisheries closures.

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