Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation Archives

Senate right whale protection bill advances

November 22, 2019 — The U.S. Senate last week moved a step closer to providing substantial financial assistance to efforts aimed at protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Scientists warn that, with a population of only about 400 animals, the giant mammals face a real threat of extinction. The whales have experienced a high rate of mortality in the past few years resulting mostly from ship strikes and entanglement with fishing gear. The population also has had a low rate of reproduction.

Last Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the “SAVE Right Whales Act” (the Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Act of 2019) and referred it to the full Senate for action.

The bill is identical to legislation now awaiting action in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislative activity comes at a time when right whale conservation is front and center with federal and Maine fisheries regulators and in the federal courts.

The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proposed a set of rules that would, among other things, require Maine lobstermen to reduce the number of vertical buoy lines they use by 50 percent.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is in the process of developing its own proposal to submit to NMFS this month.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Sen. Cantwell Language to Improve Legislation Getting Fisheries Disaster Aid to Fleets Passes Committee

November 15, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is determined to improve the process through which the nation’s fishing fleets survive fisheries disasters. Earlier this week, her provisions to reform the process passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Cantwell is a ranking member of the committee.

In September, Cantwell highlighted issues with the current process, including small business charter fishermen being excluded from the 2016 Coho fisheries disaster, an event that cost Washington State an estimated $100 million.

Cantwell’s provisions would expand and protect Tribal eligibility for fisheries disaster assistance and require charter fishermen to be included in economic relief.

“This legislation will help improve the federal fisheries disaster management program that impacted fishermen in coastal communities so that they will get financial relief faster,” Cantwell said. “As we all know, fisheries issues impact lots of different aspects of our community. But certainly the commercial and recreational fishermen deserve to be compensated as well, and with communities on our Pacific Coast that are very dependent on charter activities, I want to make sure, in the case of a disaster, that they too can apply and receive funding.

“The Coho disaster impacted Tribes, commercial fisherman, charter and recreational fisherman… but not all groups received adequate funding from NOAA,” Cantwell said at the September hearing. “In a shift from previous policy, the administration determined that the charter fishermen should not be included in the economic determination. Thus, I believe Washington did not receive adequate funding for this disaster.”

Cantwell is no stranger to the issues facing West Coast and Alaska fishing fleets. In 2015, she introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national ocean acidification monitoring strategy to prioritize investments in ocean acidification sensors to areas that need it most. In 2018, she worked with colleagues in the House and Senate to secure $200 million in federal funding to help communities with declared fisheries disasters. She has also fought to protect Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed from harmful mining and opposed drilling off the coasts of Washington and Oregon.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Hearing on America’s waterfronts held

July 26, 2019 — The Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation held a hearing Tuesday on America’s waterfronts.

The hearing, titled “America’s Waterfronts: Addressing Economic, Recreational, and Environmental Challenges,” focused on the current state of U.S. waterfronts, how to balance stakeholder needs, and maximize the benefits from the nation’s water and coastal resources.

“The economic and environmental well being of all our nations waterfronts benefit us all and the shared stewardship is a responsibility we should accept,” Mike J. Friis of the National Working Waterfront Network testified. “Intergovernmental (local, state, tribal and federal) collaboration and cooperation is necessary to be able to revitalize and enhance our working waterfronts and build local capacity. Coordination allows for sharing of expertise and resources to realize the most successful impact.”

Read the full story at WorkBoat

SEN. ROGER WICKER: Governor’s testimony spotlights blue economy

April 8, 2019 — Mississippians have inherited, harvested, and benefited from our oceans. That is why our state is a leader when it comes to the Blue Economy – the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.

Late last month, Gov. Phil Bryant joined the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which I chair, and provided testimony at the committee hearing, “Our Blue Economy: Successes and Opportunities.”

As Governor Bryant said at the hearing, “On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we have embraced the Blue Economy with all our energy and ingenuity.” The best seafood anywhere comes from the Gulf. Recreational and commercial fishermen up and down the coast contribute billions of dollars to our economy and support tens of thousands of jobs. Looking out at our coastal ports, you can see 55 million tons of goods flow in and out annually. Those goods are often transported on ships made in Mississippi and destined for harbors around the world.

Ocean conservation and development go hand-in-hand. In Mississippi, we take these lessons to heart.

Congress made significant progress on the Blue Economy when my colleagues and I passed the Modern Fish Act and the Commercial Engagement through Ocean Technology Act, or CENOTE, at the end of 2018. Both of these bills attracted bipartisan, bicameral support and were signed by the President.

Read the full opinion piece at the Daily Journal