[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4398-S4399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DRIFTNET MODERNIZATION AND BYCATCH REDUCTION ACT

  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 316, S. 906.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 906) to improve the management of driftnet 
     fishing.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, with an amendment as follows:
  (The part of the bill to be inserted is shown in italic.

                                 S. 906

       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 ``Driftnet Modernization and 
     Bycatch Reduction Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

       Section 3(25) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
     and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802(25)) is amended by 
     inserting ``, or with a mesh size of 14 inches or greater,'' 
     after ``more''.

     SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND POLICY.

       (a) Findings.--Section 206(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens 
     Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1826(b)) 
     is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(8) within the exclusive economic zone, large-scale 
     driftnet fishing that deploys nets with large mesh sizes 
     causes significant entanglement and mortality of living 
     marine resources, including myriad protected species, despite 
     limitations on the lengths of such nets.''.
       (b) Policy.--Section 206(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
     Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1826(c)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following--
       ``(4) prioritize the phase out of large-scale driftnet 
     fishing in the exclusive economic zone and promote the 
     development and adoption of alternative fishing methods and 
     gear types that minimize the incidental catch of living 
     marine resources.''.

     SEC. 4. TRANSITION PROGRAM.

       Section 206 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
     and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1826) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following--
       ``(i) Fishing Gear Transition Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--During the 5-year period beginning on 
     the date of enactment of the Driftnet Modernization and 
     Bycatch Reduction Act, the Secretary shall conduct a 
     transition program to facilitate the phase-out of large-scale 
     driftnet fishing and adoption of alternative fishing 
     practices that minimize the incidental catch of living marine 
     resources, and shall award grants to eligible permit holders 
     who participate in the program.
       ``(2) Permissible uses.--Any permit holder receiving a 
     grant under paragraph (1) may use such funds only for the 
     purpose of covering--
       ``(A) any fee originally associated with a permit 
     authorizing participation in a large-scale driftnet fishery, 
     if such permit is surrendered for permanent revocation, and 
     such permit holder relinquishes any claim associated with the 
     permit;
       ``(B) a forfeiture of fishing gear associated with a permit 
     described in subparagraph (A); or
       ``(C) the purchase of alternative gear with minimal 
     incidental catch of living marine resources, if the fishery 
     participant is authorized to continue fishing using such 
     alternative gears.
       ``(3) Certification.--The Secretary shall certify that, 
     with respect to each participant in the program under this 
     subsection, any permit authorizing participation in a large-
     scale driftnet fishery has been permanently revoked and that 
     no new permits will be issued to authorize such fishing.''.

     SEC. 5. EXCEPTION.

       Section 307(1)(M) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
     Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857(1)(M)) is 
     amended by inserting before the semicolon the following: ``, 
     unless such large-scale driftnet fishing--
       ``(i) deploys, within the exclusive economic zone, a net 
     with a total length of less than two and one-half kilometers 
     and a mesh size of 14 inches or greater; and
       ``(ii) is conducted within 5 years of the date of enactment 
     of the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act''.

     SEC. 6. FEES.

       (a) In General.--The North Pacific Fishery Management 
     Council may recommend, and the Secretary of Commerce may 
     approve, regulations necessary for the collection of fees 
     from charter vessel operators who guide recreational anglers 
     who harvest Pacific halibut in International Pacific Halibut 
     Commission regulatory areas 2C and 3A as those terms are 
     defined in part 300 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations 
     (or any successor regulations).
       (b) Use of Fees.--Any fees collected under this section 
     shall be available, without appropriation or fiscal year 
     limitation, for the purposes of--
       (1) financing administrative costs of the Recreational 
     Quota Entity program;
       (2) the purchase of halibut quota shares in International 
     Pacific Halibut Commission regulatory areas 2C and 3A by the 
     recreational quota entity authorized in part 679 of title 50, 
     Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations);
       (3) halibut conservation and research; and
       (4) promotion of the halibut resource by the recreational 
     quota entity authorized in part 679 of title 50, Code of 
     Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations).

  Mr. KAINE. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
amendment be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered 
read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment was agreed to.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. KAINE. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
  Hearing none, the question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (S. 906), as amended, was passed, as follows

                                 S. 906

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page S4399]]

  


     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Driftnet Modernization and 
     Bycatch Reduction Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

       Section 3(25) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
     and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802(25)) is amended by 
     inserting ``, or with a mesh size of 14 inches or greater,'' 
     after ``more''.

     SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND POLICY.

       (a) Findings.--Section 206(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens 
     Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1826(b)) 
     is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(8) within the exclusive economic zone, large-scale 
     driftnet fishing that deploys nets with large mesh sizes 
     causes significant entanglement and mortality of living 
     marine resources, including myriad protected species, despite 
     limitations on the lengths of such nets.''.
       (b) Policy.--Section 206(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
     Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1826(c)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following--
       ``(4) prioritize the phase out of large-scale driftnet 
     fishing in the exclusive economic zone and promote the 
     development and adoption of alternative fishing methods and 
     gear types that minimize the incidental catch of living 
     marine resources.''.

     SEC. 4. TRANSITION PROGRAM.

       Section 206 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
     and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1826) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following--
       ``(i) Fishing Gear Transition Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--During the 5-year period beginning on 
     the date of enactment of the Driftnet Modernization and 
     Bycatch Reduction Act, the Secretary shall conduct a 
     transition program to facilitate the phase-out of large-scale 
     driftnet fishing and adoption of alternative fishing 
     practices that minimize the incidental catch of living marine 
     resources, and shall award grants to eligible permit holders 
     who participate in the program.
       ``(2) Permissible uses.--Any permit holder receiving a 
     grant under paragraph (1) may use such funds only for the 
     purpose of covering--
       ``(A) any fee originally associated with a permit 
     authorizing participation in a large-scale driftnet fishery, 
     if such permit is surrendered for permanent revocation, and 
     such permit holder relinquishes any claim associated with the 
     permit;
       ``(B) a forfeiture of fishing gear associated with a permit 
     described in subparagraph (A); or
       ``(C) the purchase of alternative gear with minimal 
     incidental catch of living marine resources, if the fishery 
     participant is authorized to continue fishing using such 
     alternative gears.
       ``(3) Certification.--The Secretary shall certify that, 
     with respect to each participant in the program under this 
     subsection, any permit authorizing participation in a large-
     scale driftnet fishery has been permanently revoked and that 
     no new permits will be issued to authorize such fishing.''.

     SEC. 5. EXCEPTION.

       Section 307(1)(M) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
     Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857(1)(M)) is 
     amended by inserting before the semicolon the following: ``, 
     unless such large-scale driftnet fishing--
       ``(i) deploys, within the exclusive economic zone, a net 
     with a total length of less than two and one-half kilometers 
     and a mesh size of 14 inches or greater; and
       ``(ii) is conducted within 5 years of the date of enactment 
     of the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act''.

     SEC. 6. FEES.

       (a) In General.--The North Pacific Fishery Management 
     Council may recommend, and the Secretary of Commerce may 
     approve, regulations necessary for the collection of fees 
     from charter vessel operators who guide recreational anglers 
     who harvest Pacific halibut in International Pacific Halibut 
     Commission regulatory areas 2C and 3A as those terms are 
     defined in part 300 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations 
     (or any successor regulations).
       (b) Use of Fees.--Any fees collected under this section 
     shall be available, without appropriation or fiscal year 
     limitation, for the purposes of--
       (1) financing administrative costs of the Recreational 
     Quota Entity program;
       (2) the purchase of halibut quota shares in International 
     Pacific Halibut Commission regulatory areas 2C and 3A by the 
     recreational quota entity authorized in part 679 of title 50, 
     Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations);
       (3) halibut conservation and research; and
       (4) promotion of the halibut resource by the recreational 
     quota entity authorized in part 679 of title 50, Code of 
     Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations).

  Mr. KAINE. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________