June 20, 2015 — SEATTLE — Congress is working on changes to a significant part of 2010 legislation that sought to improve the safety of new fishing vessels.

The provision was part of a major overhaul of the federal fishing-industry safety laws included in the 2010 Coast Guard Reauthorization Act. It gave nongovernmental organizations, known as class societies, a new role in developing standards and monitoring construction of new fishing vessels of more than 50 feet in size.

That provision has run into opposition from fishermen concerned about the costs and the regulatory burdens of involving these organizations in the construction of new fishing vessels. Both the Senate Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2015 introduced Friday and a bill that already has gained passage in the House would remove class societies from a direct oversight role in the construction of smaller fishing boats.

Read the full story at The Seattle Times