Issue Position: Fishing & Working Waterfront

Issue Position

Rhode Island's fishing industry is critical to our economy and our communities.

Senator Reed has worked to support Rhode Island fishermen and lobstermen, who face significant challenges and risks as they work hard to earn a living.

A member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which oversees federal spending on the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Reed has secured millions of dollars in federal funding to boost collaborative research between fishermen and researchers to address challenges facing Southern New England fisheries. He also introduced the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act to give Rhode Island fishermen a seat at the table of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), a government board that establishes fishery management rules for federal waters off the mid-Atlantic coast.

Reed has worked to conserve Rhode Island's coastal waters so that our families, fishermen, and visitors can continue to enjoy the state's natural resources. And recognizing the important role the marine industry plays in Rhode Island, Senator Reed has supported efforts to help grow Rhode Island's marine workforce and revitalize our working waterfront, which supports boating and fishing jobs.

Key Priorities & Accomplishments

Healthy fish populations depend upon strong science-based catch limits and Senator Reed has worked to secure over $6 million in federal funding for collaborative fisheries research to collect more accurate fisheries data along the northeastern United States.
Reed has worked at the federal level to help protect the health of Narragansett Bay and secured over $1 million for researchers to study hypoxia, or "dead-zones" that have resulted in large fish kills, and develop strategies to prevent and control the problem.
Senator Reed secured federal funding in the fiscal year 2009 Appropriations bill to help the Rhode Island Rural Development Council (RIRDC), DEM, and Farm Fresh Rhode Island market and promote Rhode Island locally grown and harvested goods -- including seafood -- and build stronger ties between fishermen, farmers, and consumers.
To strengthen Rhode Island's marine heritage and revitalize Newport's working waterfront, Reed secured $500,000 to help the non-profit International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) expand its vocational training facilities and help provide sustainable careers for more Rhode Islanders.

Source