113th Congress Hearing Archives

Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "The reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act"

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 | 10:00 AM 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515

Tags: Federal Lands , Full Committee , Oversight , Fisheries

Full Committee

Oversight Hearing on:

"The reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act"

Member Statements:

The Honorable Doc Hastings
Chairman

Witnesses and Testimony:

PANEL I

Bob Jones
Executive Director
Southeastern Fisheries Association
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Dr. Robert Shipp
Chair and Professor
Department of Marine Sciences - University of South Alabama
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Robert Dooley
President
United Catcher Boats
(Truth in Testimony Form)

John Pappalardo
Chief Executive Officer
Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Captain Keith Logan
Charterboat Captain
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Bob Gill
Co-owner
Shrimp Landing, Florida
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Joseph Plesha
Chief Legal Officer
Trident Seafoods Corporation
(Truth in Testimony Form)

PANEL II

Sam Rauch
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Commerce

Background:

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act is the primary statute governing fishing activities in Federal waters and expires at the end of Fiscal Year 2013. This hearing will be the first in a series that the Committee will hold as it begins the process to reauthorize the Act this Congress. Last Congress, the Committee held several oversight and legislative hearings on the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Some of the specific issues raised during these hearings included: basing annual catch limits on better science; requiring participant approval of new catch share programs; allowing rebuilding flexibility for certain fisheries; using NOAA enforcement funds to acquire better fisheries information; requiring decisions on commercial fisheries disaster assistance in a timely manner; and requiring better transparency for the activities and decisions of the regional fishery management councils. These and other issues will continue to be examined this Congress.