March 6, 2017 — One of my best memories of growing up on Long Island is fishing in our local waterways with family and friends. It’s an industry, but it’s also a way of life and pastime that is part of our history, culture, and overall greatness as an island. For hundreds of years, the waters which surround us and the bounties within it are natural treasures which we can never take for granted. It is a shame that regulations are obstructing fishermen who want to responsibly harvest this great resource.

Between New York State’s maritime boundary, which ends three miles off of Montauk Point, and Rhode Island state waters, which begin three miles off of Block Island, there is a small area of federally controlled water that is considered part of the “Exclusive Economic Zone,” or EEZ. The EEZ, which extends up to 200 miles from the coast, are waters patrolled by the Coast Guard, where the United States has exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries and other natural resources. The unique geography of our region creates this small patch of EEZ between two areas of state controlled water. Striped bass fishing has been banned in the EEZ since 1990. Meanwhile, commercial and recreational fishing for dozens of species are permitted in the EEZ, further adding to the confusion of local anglers.

Because addressing this issue is one of the top priorities of Long Island fishermen, I have reintroduced my bill to reform our current laws as the Local Fishing Access Act (H.R. 1195). Last Congress, this bill passed the House with unanimous bipartisan support as H.R. 3070, the EEZ Clarification Act. The Local Fishing Access Act would reform the federal law that bans striped bass fishing in the Block Island transit zone, which are federal waters between Montauk, New York, and Block Island, Rhode Island. This bill will provide Long Island anglers with relief from confusing regulations, and allow Long Island’s fishermen to once again enjoy commercial and recreational striped bass fishing in these local waters just like they do in adjacent state controlled waters.

Read the full opinion piece at the Long Island Business News