[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mrs. Capito, and Ms. Harris):
  S. 2773. A bill to improve the management of driftnet fishing; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Driftnet 
Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act. This legislation updates the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to phase out 
the use of harmful drift gillnets and replace it with more sustainable 
fishing gear.
  Drift gillnets, which are approximately one to one and a half miles 
long, are intended to catch swordfish and thresher shark. Tragically, 
nearly 60 other species are accidentally caught and killed in the nets, 
including dolphins, porpoises, whales, sea lions, and sea turtles. 
These are known as bycatch.
  While some of these species can be sold, most are wastefully thrown 
back in to the ocean either dead or injured, making survival unlikely.
  According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, gillnets account 
for 90% of whale and porpoise species killed in West Coast Fisheries.
  In the 1980s, Congress enacted legislation to end the domestic use of 
driftnets approximately 1.5 miles long. Under President George H.W. 
Bush, the United States entered binding international agreements 
banning such nets worldwide. Driftnets are prohibited or not utilized 
off the United States Atlantic and Gulf coasts or in Washington State, 
Oregon, Alaska, or Hawaii. Mexico permanently banned the use of these 
nets in 2017.
  However, neither domestic nor international law, as currently 
written, captures the drift gillnets used along the West Coast to catch 
swordfish and thresher shark, despite their significant impact on 
protected marine life. The California-based fishery is the last place 
in the United States where these deadly driftnets are allowed.
  The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act would completely 
phase out the use of drift gillnets by 2020. The bill also authorizes a 
program, directed by the Department of Commerce, to assist fishermen in 
transitioning from driftnets to more sustainable gear types which 
studies have shown actually increase profitability.
  Updated fishing gear that could replace driftnets is available and 
has been successfully deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and in trials in 
the Pacific Ocean as well. Deep-set buoy gear, for example, allows 
fishermen to more accurately target swordfish and other marketable 
species in deep, cold water. The gear alerts fishermen immediately when 
they have fish on the line, so the fish can be retrieved and delivered 
to market quickly, fetching a higher price.
  In a 2016 poll, California voters overwhelmingly supported ending the 
use of drift gillnets to catch swordfish, with 87 percent of those 
surveyed in a poll commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts agreeing 
that fishermen should use less harmful gear.
  The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act enjoys support 
from a wide group of stakeholders. I ask unanimous consent that a list 
of 40 supporting organizations and letters of support be included in 
the record. The groups include: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Oceana, Sea 
Legacy, Mission Blue, The American Sportfishing Association, The 
International Game Fish Association, The California Department of Fish 
and Wildlife, Coastal Conservation Association of California.

                  Support: Drift Gillnets Legislation

       International Game Fish Association
       California League of Conservation Voters
       Coastal Conservation Ass'n California
       American Sportfishing Ass'n
       The Pew Charitable Trusts
       The Humane Society of the U.S.
       Mission Blue
       Oceana
       Turtle Island Restoration Network
       Center for Biological Diversity
       Earthjustice
       Wild Oceans
       Aquarium of the Pacific
       Wild Aid
       The Otter Project
       The Sportfishing Conservancy
       California Sportfishing League
       Monterey Coastkeeper
       Shark Stewards
       Defenders of Wildlife
       California Association for Recreational Fishing
       WILDCOAST
       Friends of the Earth
       Save the Whales
       Environment California
       Laguna Nigel Billfish Club
       American Cetacean Society
       Pacific Environment
       Oceanside Senior Anglers
       Farallon Institute Heal the Bay
       Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition
       Ocean Conservation Society
       Endangered Habitats League
       Greenpeace
       SeaLegacy
       The Marine Mammal Center
       Ocean Defenders Alliance
       Orange County Society for Conservation Biology
       California Department of Fish & Wildlife

  The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act will protect 
valuable marine life unique to the West Coast, including several 
endangered species. This bill will also help fishermen to provide 
fresher, more profitable, and more sustainable seafood to American 
consumers.
  I thank Senators Capito and Harris for joining this important 
legislation as original cosponsors and I look forward to working with 
my colleagues to pass the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction 
Act.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
                                 ______