[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H3486-H3487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EEZ TRANSIT ZONE CLARIFICATION AND ACCESS ACT
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3070) to clarify that for purposes of all Federal laws governing
marine fisheries management, the landward boundary of the exclusive
economic zone between areas south of Montauk, New York, and Point
Judith, Rhode Island, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3070
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 ``EEZ Transit Zone
Clarification and Access Act''.
SEC. 2. RECREATIONAL FISHING IN BLOCK ISLAND SOUND TRANSIT
ZONE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation
with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, may
issue regulations to permit and regulate recreational
Atlantic striped bass fishing in the Block Island Sound
Transit Zone.
(b) Block Island Sound Transit Zone Defined.--In this
section the term ``Block Island Sound transit zone'' means
the area of the exclusive economic zone north of a line
connecting Montauk Light, Montauk Point, New York, and Block
Island Southeast Light, Block Island, Rhode Island; and west
of a line connecting Point Judith Light, Point Judith, Rhode
Island, and Block Island Southeast Light, Block Island, Rhode
Island.
(c) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section or the
regulations issued under this section shall affect--
(1) any permit that--
(A) is issued under any other provision of law by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including a
permit issued before the date of the enactment of this Act;
and
(B) authorizes fishing in the Block Island Sound Transit
Zone; or
(2) any activity authorized by such a permit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nevada (Mr. Hardy) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada.
General Leave
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include
extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 3070, which was introduced by my colleague, Congressman Lee
Zeldin of New York, aims to eliminate Federal regulatory confusion
around the Block Island Sound. His bill authorizes the Secretary of
Commerce to permit striped bass fishing in the Block Island Transit
Zone between Montauk, New York, and Point Judith, Rhode Island.
The bill before us today is the result of extensive input from area
stakeholders and congressional deliberation. Following a Natural
Resources Committee's oversight field hearing and a subsequent
legislative hearing, the bill has been amended to resolve any concerns
about the unintended impacts of other federally permitted activities.
As such, the Natural Resources Committee passed this bill earlier this
year by unanimous consent.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I commend Mr. Zeldin
for his leadership on this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As introduced, H.R. 3070 would have had sweeping negative impacts. It
would have redrawn the boundary of the exclusive economic zone in an
area between Montauk Point, New York,
[[Page H3487]]
and Block Island, Rhode Island, allowing for the State management of
fishery resources that are currently managed by the Federal Government.
It would have barred Connecticut fishermen from using the area at all,
and it would have eliminated a key sanctuary for striped bass at the
very time the species needs stronger conservation measures.
Fortunately, the Natural Resources Committee was able to address
those flaws at markup and is able to bring forward a bill today that
does not have any unintended consequences. The current version of H.R.
3070 simply clarifies that the Secretary of Commerce has the authority
to issue regulations that govern recreational fishing for striped bass
in the Block Island Transit Zone. This area is currently closed to
striped bass fishing, and I join the vast majority of recreational
anglers in the region in urging fisheries' managers to keep it that
way.
That said, we do support the bill before us today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Zeldin).
Mr. ZELDIN. I thank Mr. Hardy and Mr. Clay for their comments and for
their support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 3070, the EEZ Transit
Zone Clarification and Access Act, which would clarify the Federal laws
that govern the management of the striped bass fishery in the exclusive
economic zone, or the EEZ, between Montauk, New York, and Block Island,
Rhode Island.
One of the most pressing issues that is faced by Long Island
fishermen is the urgent need to clarify the Federal regulations
regarding striped bass fishing in the small area of federally
controlled waters between Montauk Point and Block Island.
Between New York State waters, which end 3 miles off of Montauk
Point, and the Rhode Island boundary, which begins 3 miles off of Block
Island, there is a small area of federally controlled water that is
considered part of the EEZ. The EEZ, which extends up to 200 miles from
the coast, are waters that are patrolled by the Coast Guard, where the
United States has exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries and other
natural resources. Since 1990, striped bass fishing has been banned in
the EEZ even though fishermen can currently fish for striped bass in
adjacent State waters.
{time} 1745
Fishing is an industry in and around my district. It is getting more
and more difficult to survive in this industry if you are a
businessowner. Fishermen are desperately pleading for commonsense
relief, and this is one way Congress can help.
To my colleagues in this Chamber, I ask you to vote in favor of this
bill, passing this legislation on behalf of the amazing fishermen on
the east end of Long Island.
Long Island striped bass fisherman have lost 60 percent of their
traditional fishing grounds due to Federal restrictions that my bill
intends to reform. Additionally, the geography of our region means that
making the 15-mile journey by boat from Montauk Point to Block Island
requires passing through a small strip of waters considered to be part
of the EEZ. The shift in jurisdiction can mean the difference between a
nice day on the water and committing a Federal offense.
My bill, H.R. 3070, clarifies the Federal laws currently governing
the management of the striped bass fishery between Montauk and Block
Island, permitting striped bass fishing in these waters and allowing
for local regulations to manage this important fishery.
This legislation is a commonsense reform that offers a simple
solution to a unique local issue, providing regulatory relief and more
certainty to our region's fishermen, while restoring local control to a
critical fishery that must be properly managed and preserved for future
generations.
Late last year, on December 7, 2015, I cohosted a House Natural
Resources Committee field hearing within my district in Riverhead, New
York, with Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah. The hearing was held to discuss
important local fishing issues, including this legislation. Chairman
Bishop and members of the committee were able to hear firsthand the
concerns of those on Long Island who rely upon fishing as an occupation
and way of life. A few months later, on March 17, 2016, working closely
with the committee, my bill passed this committee with unanimous
bipartisan support.
I thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for having the bill
placed on today's agenda on the House floor. A big thank you to House
Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop; Subcommittee on Water,
Power and Oceans Chairman John Fleming; and Subcommittee on Water,
Power and Oceans Vice Chairman Paul Gosar for recognizing the urgency
in passing this bill. I also thank Congressman Joe Courtney, my
colleague across Long Island Sound, who worked with us to make this a
bipartisan bill.
I also commend the steadfast commitment and activism of Long Island's
fishing community, which championed this issue for nearly two decades
and is standing up for Long Island's coastal way of life. The dedicated
men and women who fish in these local waters and the tens of thousands
of Long Islanders who depend upon the coastal economy of the east end
deserve no less than this commonsense reform promoted by this proposal.
I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in support of this critical
bill.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge the
body to adopt H.R. 3070.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Hardy) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 3070, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
authorize the Secretary of Commerce to permit striped bass fishing in
the Exclusive Economic Zone transit zone between Montauk, New York, and
Point Judith, Rhode Island, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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