Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act. This legislation updates the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to phase out the use of harmful drift gillnets and replace it with more sustainable fishing gear.

Drift gillnets, which are approximately one to one and a half miles long, are intended to catch swordfish and thresher shark. Tragically, nearly 60 other species are accidentally caught and killed in the nets, including dolphins, porpoises, whales, sea lions, and sea turtles. These are known as bycatch.

While some of these species can be sold, most are wastefully thrown back in to the ocean either dead or injured, making survival unlikely.

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, gillnets account for 90% of whale and porpoise species killed in West Coast Fisheries.

In the 1980s, Congress enacted legislation to end the domestic use of driftnets approximately 1.5 miles long. Under President George H.W. Bush, the United States entered binding international agreements banning such nets worldwide. Driftnets are prohibited or not utilized off the United States Atlantic and Gulf coasts or in Washington State, Oregon, Alaska, or Hawaii. Mexico permanently banned the use of these nets in 2017.

However, neither domestic nor international law, as currently written, captures the drift gillnets used along the West Coast to catch swordfish and thresher shark, despite their significant impact on protected marine life. The California-based fishery is the last place in the United States where these deadly driftnets are allowed.

The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act would completely phase out the use of drift gillnets by 2020. The bill also authorizes a program, directed by the Department of Commerce, to assist fishermen in transitioning from driftnets to more sustainable gear types which studies have shown actually increase profitability.

Updated fishing gear that could replace driftnets is available and has been successfully deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and in trials in the Pacific Ocean as well. Deep-set buoy gear, for example, allows fishermen to more accurately target swordfish and other marketable species in deep, cold water. The gear alerts fishermen immediately when they have fish on the line, so the fish can be retrieved and delivered to market quickly, fetching a higher price.

In a 2016 poll, California voters overwhelmingly supported ending the use of drift gillnets to catch swordfish, with 87 percent of those surveyed in a poll commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts agreeing that fishermen should use less harmful gear.

The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act enjoys support from a wide group of stakeholders. I ask unanimous consent that a list of 40 supporting organizations and letters of support be included in the record. The groups include: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Oceana, Sea Legacy, Mission Blue, The American Sportfishing Association, The International Game Fish Association, The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Coastal Conservation Association of California.

Support: Drift Gillnets Legislation

International Game Fish Association

California League of Conservation Voters

Coastal Conservation Ass'n California

American Sportfishing Ass'n

The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Humane Society of the U.S.

Mission Blue

Oceana

Turtle Island Restoration Network

Center for Biological Diversity

Earthjustice

Wild Oceans

Aquarium of the Pacific

Wild Aid

The Otter Project

The Sportfishing Conservancy

California Sportfishing League

Monterey Coastkeeper

Shark Stewards

Defenders of Wildlife

California Association for Recreational Fishing

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act. This legislation updates the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to phase out the use of harmful drift gillnets and replace it with more sustainable fishing gear.

Drift gillnets, which are approximately one to one and a half miles long, are intended to catch swordfish and thresher shark. Tragically, nearly 60 other species are accidentally caught and killed in the nets, including dolphins, porpoises, whales, sea lions, and sea turtles. These are known as bycatch.

While some of these species can be sold, most are wastefully thrown back in to the ocean either dead or injured, making survival unlikely.

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, gillnets account for 90% of whale and porpoise species killed in West Coast Fisheries.

In the 1980s, Congress enacted legislation to end the domestic use of driftnets approximately 1.5 miles long. Under President George H.W. Bush, the United States entered binding international agreements banning such nets worldwide. Driftnets are prohibited or not utilized off the United States Atlantic and Gulf coasts or in Washington State, Oregon, Alaska, or Hawaii. Mexico permanently banned the use of these nets in 2017.

However, neither domestic nor international law, as currently written, captures the drift gillnets used along the West Coast to catch swordfish and thresher shark, despite their significant impact on protected marine life. The California-based fishery is the last place in the United States where these deadly driftnets are allowed.

The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act would completely phase out the use of drift gillnets by 2020. The bill also authorizes a program, directed by the Department of Commerce, to assist fishermen in transitioning from driftnets to more sustainable gear types which studies have shown actually increase profitability.

Updated fishing gear that could replace driftnets is available and has been successfully deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and in trials in the Pacific Ocean as well. Deep-set buoy gear, for example, allows fishermen to more accurately target swordfish and other marketable species in deep, cold water. The gear alerts fishermen immediately when they have fish on the line, so the fish can be retrieved and delivered to market quickly, fetching a higher price.

In a 2016 poll, California voters overwhelmingly supported ending the use of drift gillnets to catch swordfish, with 87 percent of those surveyed in a poll commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts agreeing that fishermen should use less harmful gear.

The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act enjoys support from a wide group of stakeholders. I ask unanimous consent that a list of 40 supporting organizations and letters of support be included in the record. The groups include: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Oceana, Sea Legacy, Mission Blue, The American Sportfishing Association, The International Game Fish Association, The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Coastal Conservation Association of California.

Support: Drift Gillnets Legislation

International Game Fish Association

California League of Conservation Voters

Coastal Conservation Ass'n California

American Sportfishing Ass'n

The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Humane Society of the U.S.

Mission Blue

Oceana

Turtle Island Restoration Network

Center for Biological Diversity

Earthjustice

Wild Oceans

Aquarium of the Pacific

Wild Aid

The Otter Project

The Sportfishing Conservancy

California Sportfishing League

Monterey Coastkeeper

Shark Stewards

Defenders of Wildlife

California Association for Recreational Fishing

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

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