Political Quotes

“this amendment will delay for one year the application of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, abbreviated as GMDSS, to fishing industry vessels. The purpose of the delay is to allow the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the time to address a number of serious concerns that have recently come to light involving GMDSS for fishing industry vessels. Also Mr. President, let me make clear that the delay will not affect any other type of vessel. GMDSS is a system created by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). It was intended to improve safety for large cargo and passenger vessels on international voyages. It is scheduled to go into effect on February 1 of next year. There is no doubt that GMDSS will indeed improve safety for these types of vessels. Fishing vessels are very specifically not covered by SOLAS, but the FCC regulation requiring GMDSS for international passenger and cargo vessels is also being applied to large domestic fishing industry vessels anyway. Because these types of vessels operate very differently, there are serious questions as to whether the system should be applied in the same way. The most important of the questions that has been raised for the fishing industry involves the safety and well-being not of the fishing vessels required to carry GMDSS equipment, but of the smaller vessels that work around them.”