Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1520) to expand recreational fishing opportunities through enhanced marine fishery conservation and management, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, back in April of last year, in April of 2017, we introduced legislation known as the Modern Fish Act, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act. A few months later, in July, on July 10, the Senate introduced a companion measure.

Mr. Speaker, the House bill has 24 bipartisan cosponsors and, on July 11, the House passed this bill, the House version, H.R. 2023, as part of H.R. 200, the overall Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act Reauthorization.

Mr. Speaker, Magnuson-Stevens was first authorized in 1976, very important legislation that largely at the time was designed to manage commercial fishing out in Federal waters across the United States.

Over time, we have seen extraordinary changes in fishing, both in commercial fishing, in technology and demand on species, changes in technology and science and our ability to better manage these species; and, importantly, Mr. Speaker, changes in the demand from recreational fishers. People like you and I, myself and our kids, we enjoy going out and fishing.

Magnuson-Stevens was designed largely to manage the commercial side, and it largely lacked the important balance or consideration of the millions and millions of fishers, of anglers, that go out and enjoy it just as families, and this bill helps to fix that.

The Modern Fish Act will recognize in Federal law for the first time that recreational fishing and commercial fishing are fundamentally different activities and, therefore, should be managed differently to fit the characteristics of each sector.

Mr. Speaker, while recreational fishing is an experience-based activity, commercial fishing is designed for profit. It is a for-profit activity, it is a business activity.

We have seen significant evolution in the way that the States manage State waters, recreational and commercial fishing in State waters. And let's keep in mind, there is nothing that distinguishes State waters and Federal waters. When you get outside the seaward boundaries of States, generally 3 miles in most States, it is indistinguishable. The species go back and forth, but the management styles have fundamentally changed.

In my home State of Louisiana, our recreational fishers have determined that they are going to impose a fee on themselves to improve the collection of data to improve the science to better inform our fishery management decisions. The Federal Government has the opportunity to do the same thing and, in some cases, to better involve States to ensure the complementary nature of fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, the Pacific, Alaska, and in other areas.

This bill will allow the Regional Fishery Management Councils to manage recreational fisheries more successfully based on public access, without hard quotas, or TACs. Ultimately, these changes will help to avoid sudden closures and drastically changing fishing regulations that have been plaguing many Federally managed fisheries.

The State of Louisiana is one of the most productive ecosystems in the North American Continent. We have nearly 90 percent of the freshwater inputs in the Gulf of Mexico coming through our State. We have one of the top commercial fishing industries in the Nation--in fact, the largest in the continental United States--and we produce more shrimp, blue crabs, oysters, crayfish, and other species than anywhere else in this Nation.

It is important to also keep in mind that we are one of the top recreational fishing destinations. We are a place where many people like to come to fish: redfish, speckled trout, red snapper, Amberjack, cobia, and many, many other species. We have got to have that balance. This bill moves in the right direction to ensure that we do have a balance.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, let me just say this. The regulations, the laws, that manage our roads, we have a very different structure on how 18 wheelers, how trucks are managed, versus cars; we have different rules on how civilians versus military engage; we also have a different tax code for businesses and individuals. This bill simply does the same thing: it recognizes that there is a difference between commercial fishing and recreational fishing.

Especially in our home, in the Gulf of Mexico, it recognizes that there is extraordinary participation on the recreational side of fishers, of just the general public, going out there and enjoying that experiential activity to go out there and go catch fish in the Gulf of Mexico. We must ensure that we have better science, that we have better decisions in the Gulf of Mexico, and that we have better balance on how these fisheries are managed.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that this is bipartisan legislation. I thank my friend from Arizona for the cooperation in ensuring that we get text that everyone agrees is a step in the right direction in improving that balance in the management of commercial and recreational fisheries, in ensuring that we have the best science informing our decisions and that our resource managers have access to that information and are allowed to use it. I thank the 24 bipartisan cosponsors from States like Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, and many other coastal States in the United States that worked with us on this to ensure that we move in the right direction. And I thank the dean of the House and the king in the North, Congressman Don Young, for all of the work that he has done for decades in progressing Federal fisheries management policy.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Bill Ball, Dustin Davidson, and the many staff who helped to work on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I missed some votes on Wednesday, December 19, all votes on Thursday, December 20, and some votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call Vote Number 440 (Passage of H.R. 7327, the SECURE Technology Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 441 (Passage of H.R. 7279, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 442 (Passage of H.R. 6227, the National Quantum Initiative Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 443 (Passage of H.R. 6652): YES;

Roll Call Vote 444 (Passage of S. 1520, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 445 (Passage of S. 3530, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 446 (Agreeing to H. Res. 1180): NO;

Roll Call Vote Number 447 (Agreeing to H. Res. 1181): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 448 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to the House Amendment to S. 756, the First Step Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 449 (Passage of H.R. 7328, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 450 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5075, the Ashanti Alert Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 451 (Passage of H.R. 7093, the Clean Up the Code Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 452 (Passage of S. 2896, the Justice Against Corruption on K Street Act of 2018 or JACK Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 453 (Passage of S. 2961, the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 454 (Passage of S. 2679, the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 455 (Passage of H.R. 7227, the Taxpayer First Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 456 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 457 (Passage of S. 2652, the Stephen Michael Gleason Congressional Gold Medal Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 458 (Passage of S. 2765, the RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 459 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act):

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1520, known as the Modern Fish Act, expands opportunities for recreational fishermen by encouraging the use of multiple fisheries management tools. Importantly, S. 1520 keeps the core conservation provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act intact by making it clear that fisheries managers can use multiple tools, but annual catch limits cannot be exceeded.

This bill encourages managers to think about how to manage fisheries in a way that benefits both conservation and fishing access.

I applaud Senator Wicker and Senator Nelson for the hard work they have undertaken to get this bill across the finish line. This bill is a major improvement from the version that was introduced in the House earlier this year, and I commend my colleagues in the Senate for getting it to a place where all of us can support it.

This year, we have seen progress on recreational fisheries issues, driven by advancements in technologies and data collection systems. While the recreational fishing industry is vital to the economy of the United States, the last thing we want is another tragedy of the commons or policies that undercut that progress.

The changes made to S. 1520 meet the demands of the recreational fishing industry while also ensuring access to sustainable fisheries.

I am thankful for the good faith effort shown on both sides of the aisle and for a bipartisan bill that does not compromise the sustainability of our Nation's fisheries.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 441, S. 1520.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Wicker substitute amendment be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.