On the recordDecember 7, 2010
I rise today to introduce a technical corrections bill relating to the replacement of vessels in the Washington and Alaska non-pollock groundfish trawl catcher-processor fleet. In Washington State, our history is based on a rich maritime tradition that contributes as much as $3 billion to the State's economy each year. There are 3,000 vessels in Washington's fishing fleet that employ 10,000 fishermen. Seafood processors employ another 3,800 Washingtonians. And fish wholesalers employ an additional 1,000 people. Each year thousands of fishermen risk their lives on the high seas attempting to provide food for American families and for the world. All too often, however, the vessels fishermen use are old, antiquated, and sometimes even unsafe. It's that very concern about fishing safety that moved this Congress to pass new, more stringent fishing vessel safety requirements through the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Obama on October 15 of this year. Our work, though, is far from done.
