OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

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Floor Speech

By: Jack Reed
By: Jack Reed
Date: March 26, 2025
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act along with my colleague Senator Whitehouse. I am also pleased that my colleagues Representative Magaziner and Representative Amo will be introducing a companion measure in the House of Representatives.

Our legislation will give Rhode Island a voice and voting representation on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, MAFMC, which manages some of the most important fish stocks for our State's commercial fishing industry--chief among them squid. The National Marine Fisheries Service reported that Rhode Island led Atlantic States in the harvest of squid in 2023--the most recent year for which data is available. Fishermen landed more than 30.7 million pounds of squid in Rhode Island, helping make Point Judith one of the most productive and valuable commercial fishing ports in the United States. For years now, Rhode Island's landings of stocks managed by the MAFMC have outpaced the landings of those managed by the New England Fishery Management Council, where Rhode Island is represented. Moreover, Rhode Island has a larger stake in the mid-Atlantic fishery than many of the States that currently hold seats on the MAFMC.

Because so much is at stake for our State in every decision the MAFMC makes, our bill would expand the MAFMC by two seats in order to ensure that Rhode Island will have the minimum number of seats guaranteed to other States on the council. It will allow Rhode Island to continue to have representation on the New England Fishery Management Council, where it still has significant interests.

This proposal is not unprecedented. In fact, it is modeled on a provision of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act that added North Carolina to the MAFMC in 1996 while allowing it to retain its membership on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Moreover, it will join States like Florida and Washington which all have representation on more than one fisheries management council.

Mr. President, this is a commonsense proposal and one that my colleagues and I will be working to advance either on its own or as part of the reauthorization the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

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