Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program for the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Highlights:

• Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a pilot program to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Sec. 2).

• Requires NOAA to enter into cooperative agreements with manufacturers or processors of pet food, animal feed, or aquaculture feed for the purchase of blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors (Sec. 2).

• Requires NOAA to determine the minimum price per pound after considering (Sec. 2):

• Market factors; 

• Feedback from watermen, seafood processors, and participants in the program; and

• Differentiation of price points for fillet and byproduct.

• Requires NOAA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with nonfederal partners to develop abundance estimates of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and make the first abundance estimate publicly available before beginning the pilot program (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text