Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 1025 (ih) To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for employment in the fisheries for each of 3 vessels. [Introduced in House] ...H.R. 1025 (ih) To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for employment in the fisheries for each of 3 vessels. [Introduced in House] ...
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1024
To establish in the National Marine Fisheries Service a pelagic
longline highly migratory species bycatch and mortality reduction
research program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2003
Mr. Saxton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
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A BILL
To establish in the National Marine Fisheries Service a pelagic
longline highly migratory species bycatch and mortality reduction
research program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES BYCATCH MORTALITY REDUCTION
RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment of a Program.--(1) There is established within
the National Marine Fisheries Service a pelagic longline highly
migratory species bycatch and mortality reduction research program. The
Program shall be developed by a design team established by the
Secretary of Commerce. The Program design shall be submitted to the
Secretary no later than 120 days after the first meeting of the design
team and shall include a statistically significant recommendation for
the level of observer coverage on pelagic longline fishing vessels that
is necessary to monitor the fishery effectively and participate in the
research program. The design team shall be available as a resource to
the Secretary throughout the research and the development of the
recommendations.
(2) The program shall identify and test a variety of pelagic
longline fishing gear configurations and uses and determine which of
those configurations and uses are the most effective in reducing highly
migratory species mortality. The program shall place an emphasis on
determining the gear configurations and uses that are the most
effective in reducing blue and white marlin mortality in the exclusive
economic zone of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean. The program
shall also include a provision for observers to be placed on pelagic
longline fishing vessels for the purposes of monitoring the fishery and
participating in the research program.
(3) The highly migratory species program shall conduct research to
determine the impact of existing time and area closures designed to
reduce the bycatch of longline vessels. The program shall focus on
whether existing closures should be modified to decrease bycatch by
longline vessels and shall determine what adjustments to the existing
boundaries and temporal constraints should be made as a result of any
research. Any vessel participating in the program shall be provided an
observer by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The full cost of the
observer and any incidental costs to the vessel as a result of being
included in the research program shall be paid for by the National
Marine Fisheries Service. The National Marine Fisheries Service may
authorize, without notice and comment, scientific research permits
authorizing a vessel to enter and fish in any closed area in the
Atlantic Ocean so long as there is 100 percent observer coverage and
the activities of the vessel are in furtherance of the research
program. Access to any closed area may be granted only after
consideration of the scientific need for access.
(b) Design Team.--(1) Knowledgeable members of the pelagic longline
fishing sector, the recreational billfish and tuna sector, and the
conservation community, along with scientists associated with each such
entity, shall be appointed by the Secretary to the program design team.
Each of the sectors shall to the extent practicable be fairly
represented on the design team. The design team shall not exceed nine
members only one of which may be an employee of the Federal Government.
The design team shall select a chairman and establish its own rules of
operation. Each member of the design team who is not employed by the
Federal Government shall be compensated in the manner provided for
members of a Fishery Management Council under section 302(d) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1852(d)).
(2) The design team shall not be considered to be an advisory
committee for the purposes of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App.), but shall hold its deliberations in meetings for which
prior noticed is published in the Federal Register and that are open to
the public.
(c) Mid-Atlantic Conservation Zone for Highly Migratory Species.--
Section 304(g) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1854(g)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(3) Mid-atlantic conservation zone for highly migratory
species.--
``(A) No person shall engage in pelagic longline
fishing--
``(i) in the lower mid-Atlantic
Conservation Zone in the period beginning
August 15 and ending October 1 each year; or
``(ii) in the upper mid-Atlantic
Conservation Zone in the period beginning July
15 and ending September 1 each year.
``(B) In this paragraph the term `lower mid-
Atlantic Conservation Zone' means the area that is
enclosed by a series of geodesics connecting in
succession the points at the following coordinates:
``(i) 36 degrees 30 minutes north latitude,
75 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(ii) 37 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
75 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(iii) 38 degrees 0 minutes north
latitude, 74 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(iv) 38 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
73 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(v) 37 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
74 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(vi) 36 degrees 30 minutes north
latitude, 75 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(C) In this paragraph the term `upper mid-
Atlantic Conservation Zone' means the area that is
enclosed by a series of geodesics connecting in
succession the points at the following coordinates:
``(i) 38 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
74 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(ii) 40 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
72 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(iii) 39 degrees 0 minutes north
latitude, 72 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(iv) 38 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
73 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(v) 38 degrees 0 minutes north latitude,
74 degrees 0 minutes west longitude.
``(D) This paragraph shall not apply after the end
of the 4-year period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this paragraph.''.
(d) Report to Congress.--The Secretary of Commerce shall submit to
the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate--
(1) an interim report of the findings of the research
conducted under this section within two years after the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(2) a final report with the necessary regulatory documents
to initiate implementation of any adjustments to time and area
closures, gear configurations, or fishing techniques warranted
as a result of the research.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For research under this
section there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Commerce $5,000,000 for fiscal years 2004 through 2008.
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