Wayne Gilchrest: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1661 is a bill to extend the existing State management of the Dungeness crab fishery off the coasts of…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1661 is a bill to extend the existing State management of the Dungeness crab fishery off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. This is not the first time State management of the Dungeness crab fishery has been addressed by Congress. In 1996, in conjunction with the Sustainable Fisheries Act, Congress authorized the States of California, Oregon, and Washington the interim authority for the management of Dungeness crab for 3 years. During that period of time, the States showed they could cooperatively and effectively manage the Dungeness crab fishery. When the interim authority was due to expire in 1998, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which has the Federal management responsibility for conservation and management of the fishery, wrote to Congress requesting an extension of State management authority. For the past 5 years, the States has been cooperatively managing the Dungeness crab fishery, which occurs in Federal waters adjacent to their States. This is an extremely valuable fishery. In fact, in the 1999-2000 season, 41.3 million pounds of Dungeness crab were landed, which had a value of $84.2 million. This is a healthy food source for thousands of Americans. H.R. 1661 will extend the authority for State management indefinitely.”