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Published: December 21, 2010
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U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, has advanced a bill through the U.S. Senate to enhance management of New England’s historic groundfish industry.
The International Fisheries Clarification Act, introduced by Senator Snowe in December of 2009, will allow regulators to manage fish stocks shared by U.S. and Canadian fishermen in a more sustainable fashion. The measure, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent, also included the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, a bill cosponsored by Senator Snowe that would boost global shark conservation efforts.
"For too long, our fishery managers have been placed at a competitive disadvantage in negotiating catch limits with their Canadian counterparts because of an erroneous interpretation of the law. My legislation, which passed the Senate today, will resolve this problem and level the playing field for U.S. negotiators, and ultimately for the hard-working members of the New England groundfish industry. I urge my colleagues in the House to follow suit and swiftly pass this bill before the end of this Congressional session to ensure that the U.S.-Canada Transboundary Resource Sharing Understanding is treated as an international agreement as the law intends, thereby giving our managers the ability to account for the effects of fishing that takes place beyond our exclusive economic zone," said Senator Snowe.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act, which provides legislative underpinning for nearly all U.S. fishery management measures, permits fisheries managed under "international agreements" to have rebuilding periods that extend beyond the 10-year timeline that domestic stocks are subject to. However, the U.S. Department of State has stated the bilateral "understanding" between the U.S. and Canada fails to meet the criteria to be considered an "international agreement." This ruling has hindered U.S. negotiations with Canada, as the 10-year timeline does not exist in Canadian law. Although Canada manages its stocks to maintain a rebuilding trajectory, their catch limits often far exceed those in the United States.
Senator Snowe also applauded passage of S. 850, the Shark Conservation Act. "The loss of 73 million sharks each year to the global fin trade has a profound effect on the health and sustainability of our marine ecosystem. Ending this cruel and wasteful practice in U.S. waters is a critical step in incentivizing other fishing nations to do the same."
source: U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe press release
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Published: December 21, 2010
Print
EmailU.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, has advanced a bill through the U.S. Senate to enhance management of New England’s historic groundfish industry.
The International Fisheries Clarification Act, introduced by Senator Snowe in December of 2009, will allow regulators to manage fish stocks shared by U.S. and Canadian fishermen in a more sustainable fashion. The measure, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent, also included the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, a bill cosponsored by Senator Snowe that would boost global shark conservation efforts.
"For too long, our fishery managers have been placed at a competitive disadvantage in negotiating catch limits with their Canadian counterparts because of an erroneous interpretation of the law. My legislation, which passed the Senate today, will resolve this problem and level the playing field for U.S. negotiators, and ultimately for the hard-working members of the New England groundfish industry. I urge my colleagues in the House to follow suit and swiftly pass this bill before the end of this Congressional session to ensure that the U.S.-Canada Transboundary Resource Sharing Understanding is treated as an international agreement as the law intends, thereby giving our managers the ability to account for the effects of fishing that takes place beyond our exclusive economic zone," said Senator Snowe.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act, which provides legislative underpinning for nearly all U.S. fishery management measures, permits fisheries managed under "international agreements" to have rebuilding periods that extend beyond the 10-year timeline that domestic stocks are subject to. However, the U.S. Department of State has stated the bilateral "understanding" between the U.S. and Canada fails to meet the criteria to be considered an "international agreement." This ruling has hindered U.S. negotiations with Canada, as the 10-year timeline does not exist in Canadian law. Although Canada manages its stocks to maintain a rebuilding trajectory, their catch limits often far exceed those in the United States.
Senator Snowe also applauded passage of S. 850, the Shark Conservation Act. "The loss of 73 million sharks each year to the global fin trade has a profound effect on the health and sustainability of our marine ecosystem. Ending this cruel and wasteful practice in U.S. waters is a critical step in incentivizing other fishing nations to do the same."
source: U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe press release
Submit Article