Senate votes to lift delay on fishing restrictions

WASHINGTON – The Senate Wednesday passed legislation that would allow new fishing restrictions to begin May 1 and would overturn a five-month delay signed into law by the president just last Thursday.

The change of heart came after fishery management officials assured Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that they would address her concerns about the impact of the restrictions on fishermen in her state.

The repeal of the delay was included in a pension bill that passed the Senate by an 86-9 vote and will have to be negotiated with the House. If negotiations are not successful, Collins said she will try to make the change in other legislation.

Collins last month inserted a provision into a spending bill that delayed new limits on fishing days and other changes – known as Amendment 13 – from May 1 to Oct. 1. But New England Fishery Management Council Chairman David Borden urged Collins to rescind the delay and said the council is re-evaluating the issues she raised.

He and other fishery groups said the delay would hurt New England fishermen, creating more uncertainty in their businesses.

Collins agreed to try and restore the May 1 deadline, saying Borden “assured me that the council will work to remedy the inequities in Amendment 13 that particularly hurt Maine’s fishermen. The council is making progress toward this end.”

One key concern, she said, was that some Maine fishermen would get no extra fishing days under the new regulations, which create a special “B” class of days when fishermen can target only healthy stocks.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who opposed Collins’ delay last month, worked to restore the May 1 date.

“It’s important that we secured this provision, because the stakes for New England’s fishermen are so high,” Kennedy said. “It’s absolutely critical that the final fishery management plan recognize the extraordinary challenges confronting fishing families.”

The National Marine Fisheries Service is moving ahead with the Amendment 13 review process, and is seeking public comment on the new rules. If Collins is not able to repeal the October delay, NMFS will re-evaluate the matter as May 1 approaches.

In December 2001, a federal court ordered NMFS to come up with tighter restrictions to address overfishing. In response, the New England council passed a 24 percent cut in fishing days, compared to 2002 levels, which would give most fishermen a maximum of 53 days at sea.