On the recordMarch 12, 2012
today, along with Senator Snowe, Senator Whitehouse, Senator Scott Brown and Commerce Committee Chairman Rockefeller, I am introducing the Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act of 2012. In the House, I am very pleased that Congressmen Barney Frank and Frank Guinta will be introducing similar legislation. In Massachusetts, commercial fishing supports more than 77,000 jobs. Recreational fishing is also an important part of our maritime economy and our local research institutions are world-renowned. However, today our fishermen continue to face economic peril and they are deeply frustrated by science and research they do not trust. We have to put the broken pieces back together and restore both trust in Washington and economic security for this industry and the brave fishermen who get up every day and go out on those boats to make a living for their families. In short, we need a new path. It starts by remaking the scientific research process and transforming it into something that does a much better job of including our fishermen in the data collection that forms the foundation of the rules and regulations that can determine their future. We can take an important first step in improving the relationship between our fishermen and Federal regulators by passing the Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act. The cornerstone of this bill is returning the use of Saltonstall- Kennedy funds to our fishermen, as was the original intent of its creators.…
