February 22, 2014 — The following was released by the Seafood Coalition:
The Seafood Coalition enthusiastically supports New Jersey Congressman Frank LoBiondo’s Commercial Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2013, which has been incorporated into H.R. 4005, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014, which was passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on February 11, 2014.
Commercial fishermen in the U.S. are already among the most highly regulated in the world. Without Congressman LoBiondo’s legislation they would be exposed to yet another layer of permitting and regulation, a layer that is unwarranted and would impose an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on an already overburdened fleet.
Congressman LoBiondo’s Commercial Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2013 will exempt commercial fishing vessels as defined in Section 2101 of Title 46 from the requirements of the Clean Water Act, which as the result of a lawsuit in 2006 would otherwise apply to them. Such an exemption has already been allowed for recreational vessels, regardless of their size. Without it routine and environmentally benign activities such as deck washing could be prohibited, and fines potentially reaching $25,000 per day could be levied for non-compliance. Fishing vessel owners and operators would also be subject to citizen suits, providing anti-fishing activists another potential weapon to employ in their unrelenting persecution of fishermen.
This legislation simply extends a regulatory exemption originally granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 30 years ago. A 2010 reported ordered by Congress and published by EPA confirms that continuing this exemption will not contribute to pollution of our inshore or coastal waters. As the repopulation of areas by fish and invertebrates that have been absent for decades clearly indicates, existing regulations and controls are working effectively. We thank Congressman LoBiondo for his continuing involvement in this and other issues that could negatively affect the domestic commercial fishing and his ongoing support of our ocean harvesters.