A bill to provide for the replacement or rebuilding of a vessel for the Non-American Fisheries Act trawl catcher processors that comprise the Amendment 80 fleet.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a technical corrections bill relating to the replacement of vessels in the Washington and Alaska non-pollock groundfish trawl catcher-processor fleet.

In Washington State, our history is based on a rich maritime tradition that contributes as much as $3 billion to the State's economy each year. There are 3,000 vessels in Washington's fishing fleet that employ 10,000 fishermen. Seafood processors employ another 3,800 Washingtonians. And fish wholesalers employ an additional 1,000 people.

Each year thousands of fishermen risk their lives on the high seas attempting to provide food for American families and for the world. All too often, however, the vessels fishermen use are old, antiquated, and sometimes even unsafe.

It's that very concern about fishing safety that moved this Congress to pass new, more stringent fishing vessel safety requirements through the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Obama on October 15 of this year.

Our work, though, is far from done.

The bill I am introducing today is designed to clarify an ambiguity in the law that some believe could prevent fishermen in the Washington and Alaska non-pollock groundfish trawl catcher-processor fleet from replacing old, unsafe vessels with new ones. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and U.S. Department of Commerce are currently taking action to promulgate regulations that would allow vessel replacement in this fleet. The Federal Government believes it has that authority, and I agree with that conclusion. Because of ambiguity in the law, however, my colleagues and I are introducing this legislation today to erase any uncertainty or ambiguity on whether the Government has the legal authority and ability to embark on its current course of action. Congress certainly never meant to prevent the replacement of old, unsafe vessels with new or refurbished ones, and where additional clarity is sought on that question, Congress should provide it.

By adopting this bill, we can improve fishing safety by providing the legal and financial clarity necessary for these vessels to be rebuilt and replaced. In a rapidly-aging fleet that has already experienced the tragedy of ships and men lost at sea, it is the least that we owe them--the means to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a technical corrections bill relating to the replacement of vessels in the Washington and Alaska non-pollock groundfish trawl catcher-processor fleet.

In Washington State, our history is based on a rich maritime tradition that contributes as much as $3 billion to the State's economy each year. There are 3,000 vessels in Washington's fishing fleet that employ 10,000 fishermen. Seafood processors employ another 3,800 Washingtonians. And fish wholesalers employ an additional 1,000 people.

Each year thousands of fishermen risk their lives on the high seas attempting to provide food for American families and for the world. All too often, however, the vessels fishermen use are old, antiquated, and sometimes even unsafe.

It's that very concern about fishing safety that moved this Congress to pass new, more stringent fishing vessel safety requirements through the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Obama on October 15 of this year.

Our work, though, is far from done.

The bill I am introducing today is designed to clarify an ambiguity in the law that some believe could prevent fishermen in the Washington and Alaska non-pollock groundfish trawl catcher-processor fleet from replacing old, unsafe vessels with new ones. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and U.S. Department of Commerce are currently taking action to promulgate regulations that would allow vessel replacement in this fleet. The Federal Government believes it has that authority, and I agree with that conclusion. Because of ambiguity in the law, however, my colleagues and I are introducing this legislation today to erase any uncertainty or ambiguity on whether the Government has the legal authority and ability to embark on its current course of action. Congress certainly never meant to prevent the replacement of old, unsafe vessels with new or refurbished ones, and where additional clarity is sought on that question, Congress should provide it.

By adopting this bill, we can improve fishing safety by providing the legal and financial clarity necessary for these vessels to be rebuilt and replaced. In a rapidly-aging fleet that has already experienced the tragedy of ships and men lost at sea, it is the least that we owe them--the means to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.