Issue Position: Fishing

Issue Position

Perhaps the most historic and economically important industry in all of New England, the fishing industry began as a staple of the diet of the Wampanoag tribe centuries ago. Since before our nation was formed, fishermen have braved the rough seas of the Atlantic Ocean and the calmer waters of Cape Cod Bay to bring the day's catch back to the prospering docks of Massachusetts. Quickly, the fishing industry flourished into one of the strongest and most important sources of revenue and livelihood in our district.

The fishing industry has remained an integral resource through the centuries, providing a wide variety of marine products such as cod, flounder, haddock, lobster, whiting,

clams, herring, pollock, swordfish and tuna. When it was determined in recent decades that these plentiful waters were no longer producing the same catch yield year after year, regulations were enforced that would enable fishermen to continue making a profit, while simultaneously allowing the fish species to grow back. While good-intentioned, these regulations have not been met without controversy from the fishermen and supportive industries.

The first piece of legislation Bill introduced in Congress was HR 1013, the Strengthen Fisheries Management in New England Act. This bill requires that penalties collected from New England fishermen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration be used to improve the management of New England fisheries. Currently, the New England Fishery Management Council is charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to manage fisheries in the federal waters of New England, and each year it identifies research and monitoring priorities, most of which lack adequate funding. HR 1013 will enable the Council to make more informed decisions that balance the continued protection of the marine ecosystem with the need for strong, profitable fishing businesses in New England's coastal communities. These funds will support and protect the many fishing-related jobs crucial to the economic health of New England, all of which depend on sound resource management.

In addition to introducing HR 1013, Bill founded a Task Force to assist commercial fishermen in communicating with each other and to allow them to better organize together and have requested that the Department of Commerce send economic assessment teams to survey the impact of new fishing regulations and the recent recession on the profitability of our fishing industry. He is committed to helping our fishermen adapt to strong, modern business models based on accurate and up-to-date scientific data.

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