{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2006-12-27-pt1-PgE2243-2", "2006-12-27", 109, 2, null, null, "MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2006", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2243", "E2244", "[{\"name\": \"Nick J. Rahall II\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"109\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"5946\"}]", "152 Cong. Rec. E2243", "Congressional Record, Volume 152 Issue 136 (Wednesday, December 27, 2006)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 136 (Wednesday, December 27, 2006)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2243-E2244]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT REAUTHORIZATION\n                              ACT OF 2006\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II\n\n                            of west virginia\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                        Friday, December 8, 2006\n\n  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend\nmy remarks. I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  The pending measure, as passed by the Senate, may be one of the last\nitems on our schedule this Congress, but it is certainly not the least\nimportant. The bill would reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery\nConservation and Management Act in order to guide the management of our\nmarine fisheries through 2013.\n  We would not be here today if Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye\nhad not extended an olive branch. I am extremely appreciative of the\nhard work that they and their staffs put into this legislation. I also\ncommend our colleague Tom Allen who worked tirelessly on behalf of the\nfishermen in his district to improve this legislation.\n  While the pending measure does not do everything I would have liked,\nit does not roll back the conservation principles in this important\nfisheries management law. The legislation actually strengthens the\nMagnuson-Stevens Act.\n  For the first time, regional fishery management councils will be\nrequired to establish catch limits that may not exceed the\nrecommendations of the councils' scientific and statistical committees.\nWe expect the scientific committees are to take into account a wide\nrange of scientific opinions when making their recommendations.\n  Members of the scientific committees will be required to file\nfinancial disclosure forms with the Secretary. This requirement will\nenable the general public to use the Freedom of Information Act to\nascertain whether the scientists are truly independent.\n  For the most depleted fisheries in our country, the legislation will\nrequire the Secretary of Commerce to prepare and implement a rebuilding\nplan that puts an end to overfishing immediately. This is a significant\nimprovement in the law. Studies have shown that the clearest cause of\nthe lack of progress in rebuilding is the failure of many plans to\nreduce overfishing on those critically depleted stocks. H.R. 5946\naddresses this concern.\n  Notwithstanding efforts by this Congress to undermine the National\nEnvironmental Policy Act, H.R. 5946, as amended, requires full\ncompliance with the law. The Secretary of Commerce is directed to\nupdate the procedures for complying with NEPA, but these new procedures\nwill not supercede existing NEPA regulations and guidance issued by the\nCouncil on Environmental Quality.\n  Additionally, H.R. 5946 places a 10-year limit on permits, known as\nlimited access privileges, which are issued to fishermen to harvest a\nquantity of fish. On this issue, I commend our colleague Tom Allen, who\nworked to ensure that the limited access privilege program conserves\nfisheries, is accountable, and protects small fishermen from those who\nwould like to consolidate fisheries. The privileges are to be held by\nfishermen who are actively engaged and substantially participate in the\nfishery. The regional fishery associations are to maintain free and\nopen markets for fishermen to sell their catch, and are not to force\nfishermen into unwilling or involuntary arrangements.\n  H.R. 5946 also encourages the conservation of coral reefs. The bill\ndirects the Secretary to map the locations of deep sea corals for the\ncouncils, monitor activity occurring where deep sea corals exist, and\ndevelop technologies to assist fishermen in reducing the interactions\nthat fishing gear has with corals.\n  Finally, the bill authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to undertake\nactivities to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in\ninternational waters. This will assist domestic fishermen who bear the\ncosts when fish harvested illegally result in degraded fish stocks and\ndepressed prices worldwide.\n  In summary, H.R. 5946 will promote the conservation of our fisheries.\nThe bill does not include everything on my wish list, but it improves\nupon existing law.\n\n[[Page E2244]]\n\n  By reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act in the 109th Congress, we\nwill have more time in the 110th Congress to devote to other ocean\nissues, including considering the recommendations of the Joint Oceans\nCommission Initiative.\n  It is a rare day that I agree with our President, but several months\nago he said, ``Overfishing is harmful. It's harmful to our country and\nit's harmful to the world.'' I agree wholeheartedly and understand that\nthis legislation takes corrective action to curtail overfishing,\nespecially in our most depleted fisheries.\n  I support the bill, encourage my colleagues to do so as well.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2006-12-27-pt1-PgE2243-2"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 11.910892091691494, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}