Rep Mica Blasts Red Snapper Ban at Fishermen Rally Mica told thousands of fishermen that bureaucrats have ignored their pleas and that jobs are being threatened by the new Red Snapper fishing ban along the East Coast
BigNews.Biz - Feb 25,2010 - U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL) told thousands of fishermen from across the country who rallied in Washington, DC, that bureaucrats have ignored their pleas and that jobs are being threatened by the new Red Snapper fishing ban along the East Coast and the proposed bans throughout other U.S. waters. Mica added, “Legislation that I introduced, that would delay the ban until better data was collected, was stonewalled in Congress by the Administration and Maritime Council.”
Fishermen from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill today to express their disappointment and frustration with the rulings imposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regarding recent fishery closures.
Rep. Mica encouraged the fishermen to persist in saving their jobs and ability to earn a living—urging them to win. The Congressman encouraged United We Fish Rally attendees to “be persistent bastards” and sign up other Members to pass legislation to address the fishing ban issue based on flawed science. Mica continued, stating that “the law must be changed to eliminate the current ban process.”
“I am shocked and disappointed that the Administration would impose these economically damaging polices, especially during this time of distress and with so many Americans already out of work. The impact these bans have on the State of Florida is devastating,” stated Rep. Mica.
Mica introduced legislation to reverse the recent ban on Red Snapper fishing in the Southeast Atlantic Marine Fishery until a new stock assessment based on sound science is reported to Congress (H.R. 3307). Additionally, Congressman Mica is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1584 the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act. This legislation would (1) Amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require fishery management plans, amendments, or regulations for overfished fisheries to specify a time period for ending overfishing and rebuilding the fishery that is as short as practicable (currently, as short as possible), and modifies the exceptions to the requirement that such period not exceed ten years. (2) It requires consideration, in evaluating progress to end overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks, of factors other than commercial and recreational fishing. (3) Requires, when the Secretary of Commerce extends the period under specified provisions, that the maximum rebuilding time not exceed the sum of the initial ten-year period, the expected time to rebuild the stock absent any fishing mortality and under prevailing environmental conditions, and the mean generation time of the stock.
Most recently, Rep. Mica co-sponsored H.R.4634, the Transparency in Job Loss from Fishery Closures Act of 2010. This legislation would limit the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to implement certain fishery closures unless the Secretary certifies that closure is the only option available for maintaining a fishery at a sustainable level, and for other purposes.
To date, the Majority in Congress has refused to conduct an open hearing addressing this issue and the corresponding legislation.
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