After a year-long, bipartisan effort, the International Fisheries Clarification Act passed the House this morning, as part of H.R. 81, after clearing the Senate yesterday. It is on its way to the President's desk and is expected to be signed.
WASHINGTON – Dec. 21, 2010 – After a year-long, bipartisan effort, the International Fisheries Clarification Act passed the House this morning, as part of H.R. 81, after clearing the Senate yesterday. It is on its way to the President's desk and is expected to be signed.
The bill will allow regulators to negotiate with Canada regarding fishing catch limits and to thereby better manage certain fish stocks, including Georges Bank yellowtail, as well as cod and haddock, which are shared by U.S. and Canadian fishermen.
Currently, catch limits in Canada far exceed those in the United States – the language in the bill passed today would allow the US to more fairly negotiate higher catch limits for American fishermen, including "choke stocks" such as yellowtail flounder which impact groundfish and scallop fisheries.
Existing law governing fisheries, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, allows the United States to negotiate "international agreements" with other countries regarding the rebuilding of fish stocks. Magnuson-Stevens permits fisheries managed under "international agreements" to have rebuilding periods that extend beyond the 10-year timeline to which domestic stocks are subject. However, the US Department of State until now has considered that the bilateral "understanding" between the US and Canada fails to meet the criteria of an international agreement under the Magnuson Act.
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.
The bill which passed today includes language which would specifically state that negotiations between the US and Canada meet the criteria of an international agreement under the Magnuson Act.
The provision regarding this modification, the "International Fisheries Agreement Clarification Act," was championed in the House by Congressman Barney Frank and in the Senate by Senator Olympia Snowe, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. Senator John Kerry was a major proponent of the bill in the Senate. Congressman John Tierney was a co-sponsor of the legislation in the House.
The measure, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent and the House under suspension of the rules, also included the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, sponsored by Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.). The bill was introduced in the House by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam.
"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," said Senator Snowe. "I am grateful for the efforts to facilitate passage of this legislation to level the playing field for U.S. negotiators and ultimately for the hard-working members of the New England groundfish industry."