Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on four bipartisan bills focused on modernizing fisheries management, combating illegal foreign fishing, and supporting water storage projects. Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement in response:

“Today’s hearing highlights our ongoing commitment to strengthening the stewardship of our water and fisheries resources. These bills advance practical, transparent, and collaborative approaches. The Natural Resources Committee continues to support legislative solutions that promote conservation, protect American communities and industries, and ensure our natural resources are well managed.”

Background

In recent years, America’s water systems and fisheries have faced growing strain from inadequate storage capacity, fragmented management, outdated federal data and a surge in illegal foreign fishing. These challenges threaten long-term resource reliability, weaken coastal economies and limit public access to healthy fisheries.

Across the country, communities lack sufficient water storage to withstand drought, and many groundwater projects are ineligible under current federal law despite their ability to recharge far more than existing caps allow. In the Mississippi River Basin, our nation’s largest watershed, fishery resources are spread across 31 states and numerous agencies without a formal structure to coordinate management, respond to invasive species or support shared science.

At the same time, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing continues to funnel unlawful seafood into U.S. markets, harming domestic fishermen and undermining sustainable fish stocks. NOAA’s Marine Recreational Information Program has also been found to overestimate recreational fishing effort, leading to shortened seasons, reduced access and management decisions that do not reflect conditions on the water.

The legislation considered today, H.R. 338, H.R. 1514, H.R. 3756 and H.R. 5699, would expand water storage opportunities, strengthen coordination across the Mississippi River Basin, crack down on IUU fishing and modernize flawed federal data systems. Together, these reforms would improve resource management, protect American fishermen and ensure healthier waterways and fisheries for future generations.