I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1417

To amend the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide for a 3-year research plan to assess the status of stocks of fish

that are managed under the Pacific Fisheries Management Council Pacific Coast Groundfish Plan, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 5, 1995

Mrs. SMITH of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred

to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To amend the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide for a 3-year research plan to assess

the status of stocks of fish that are managed under

the Pacific Fisheries Management Council Pacific Coast

Groundfish Plan, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Private Vessel Fish

5 Survey Act of 1995’’.
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1 SEC. 2. 3-YEAR RESEARCH PLAN FOR PACIFIC FISH

2 STOCKS.

3 (a) RESEARCH PLAN.—Section 304 of the Magnuson

4 Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.

5 1854) is amended by adding at the end the following new

6 subsection:

7 ‘‘(h) PACIFIC REGION STOCK ASSESSMENT.—(1) Not

8 later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the

9 Private Vessel Fish Survey Act of 1995, the Secretary

10 shall, in consultation with the Pacific Fishery Manage11 ment Council and the States of California, Oregon, and

12 Washington, establish a Pacific Region Scientific Review

13 Group (in this subsection referred to as the ‘Group’) con14 sisting of representatives of the National Marine Fisheries

15 Service, each of the States of California, Oregon, and

16 Washington, universities located in those States, commer17 cial and recreational fishermen and shore-based processors

18 located in those States, and environmental organizations.

19 Individuals appointed to serve on the Group shall be se20 lected from among individuals who are knowledgeable or

21 experienced in the harvesting, processing, biology, or ecol22 ogy of the fish stocks of fish that are managed under the

23 Pacific Fisheries Management Council Pacific Coast

24 Groundfish Plan (in this subsection referred to as the ‘cov25 ered Pacific stocks’).
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1 ‘‘(2) Not later than 180 days after the date of estab2 lishment of the Group, the Group shall transmit to the

3 Secretary a research plan of at least 3 years duration to

4 assess the status of the covered Pacific stocks, including

5 the abundance, location, and species, age, and gender com6 position of those stocks. The plan shall provide for the

7 use of private vessels to conduct stock surveys.

8 ‘‘(3) Immediately upon receiving the plan transmitted

9 under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall take action nec10 essary to carry out the plan, including, subject to the

11 availability of appropriations, chartering private vessels,

12 arranging for the deployment of scientists on those vessels

13 (including the payment of increased insurance costs to ves14 sel owners), and obtaining the assistance of shore-based

15 fish processors.

16 ‘‘(4) The Secretary may offset the cost of carrying

17 out the plan by entering into agreements with vessel own18 ers or shore-based fish processors to provide vessel owners

19 or shore-based fish processors with a portion of the total

20 allowable catch reserved for research purposes under sec21 tion 303(b).’’.

22 (b) RESERVE PORTION OF ALLOWABLE CATCH FOR

23 RESEARCH.—Section 303(b) of that Act (16 U.S.C.

24 1853(b)) is amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph

2 (9);

3 (2) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para4 graph (11); and

5 (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the follow6 ing new paragraph:

7 ‘‘(10) reserve a portion of the total allowable

8 catch of that fishery for use for scientific research

9 purposes; and’’.

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