EEZ Transit Zone Clarification and Access Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ZELDIN. I thank Mr. Hardy and Mr. Clay for their comments and for their support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 3070, the EEZ Transit Zone Clarification and Access Act, which would clarify the Federal laws that govern the management of the striped bass fishery in the exclusive economic zone, or the EEZ, between Montauk, New York, and Block Island, Rhode Island.

One of the most pressing issues that is faced by Long Island fishermen is the urgent need to clarify the Federal regulations regarding striped bass fishing in the small area of federally controlled waters between Montauk Point and Block Island.

Between New York State waters, which end 3 miles off of Montauk Point, and the Rhode Island boundary, which begins 3 miles off of Block Island, there is a small area of federally controlled water that is considered part of the EEZ. The EEZ, which extends up to 200 miles from the coast, are waters that are patrolled by the Coast Guard, where the United States has exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries and other natural resources. Since 1990, striped bass fishing has been banned in the EEZ even though fishermen can currently fish for striped bass in adjacent State waters.

Fishing is an industry in and around my district. It is getting more and more difficult to survive in this industry if you are a businessowner. Fishermen are desperately pleading for commonsense relief, and this is one way Congress can help.

To my colleagues in this Chamber, I ask you to vote in favor of this bill, passing this legislation on behalf of the amazing fishermen on the east end of Long Island.

Long Island striped bass fisherman have lost 60 percent of their traditional fishing grounds due to Federal restrictions that my bill intends to reform. Additionally, the geography of our region means that making the 15-mile journey by boat from Montauk Point to Block Island requires passing through a small strip of waters considered to be part of the EEZ. The shift in jurisdiction can mean the difference between a nice day on the water and committing a Federal offense.

My bill, H.R. 3070, clarifies the Federal laws currently governing the management of the striped bass fishery between Montauk and Block Island, permitting striped bass fishing in these waters and allowing for local regulations to manage this important fishery.

This legislation is a commonsense reform that offers a simple solution to a unique local issue, providing regulatory relief and more certainty to our region's fishermen, while restoring local control to a critical fishery that must be properly managed and preserved for future generations.

Late last year, on December 7, 2015, I cohosted a House Natural Resources Committee field hearing within my district in Riverhead, New York, with Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah. The hearing was held to discuss important local fishing issues, including this legislation. Chairman Bishop and members of the committee were able to hear firsthand the concerns of those on Long Island who rely upon fishing as an occupation and way of life. A few months later, on March 17, 2016, working closely with the committee, my bill passed this committee with unanimous bipartisan support.

I thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for having the bill placed on today's agenda on the House floor. A big thank you to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop; Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Chairman John Fleming; and Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Vice Chairman Paul Gosar for recognizing the urgency in passing this bill. I also thank Congressman Joe Courtney, my colleague across Long Island Sound, who worked with us to make this a bipartisan bill.

I also commend the steadfast commitment and activism of Long Island's fishing community, which championed this issue for nearly two decades and is standing up for Long Island's coastal way of life. The dedicated men and women who fish in these local waters and the tens of thousands of Long Islanders who depend upon the coastal economy of the east end deserve no less than this commonsense reform promoted by this proposal.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in support of this critical bill.

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