(2) by striking ‘‘overfished’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘depleted’’. 
(c) CLARITY IN ANNUAL REPORT.—Section 304(e)(1) 
(16 U.S.C. 1854(e)(1)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: ‘‘The report shall distinguish between fisheries 
that are depleted (or approaching that condition) as a re-
sult of fishing and fisheries that are depleted (or approach-
ing that condition) as a result of factors other than fishing. 
The report shall state, for each fishery identified as depleted 
or approaching that condition, whether the fishery is the 
target of directed fishing.’’. 
SEC. 7. TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PROCESS. 
(a) 
ADVICE.—Section 
302(g)(1)(B) 
(16 
U.S.C. 
1852(g)(1)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Each scientific and statistical committee shall de-
velop such advice in a transparent manner and allow for 
public involvement in the process.’’. 
(b) 
MEETINGS.—Section 
302(i)(2) 
(16 
U.S.C. 
1852(i)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) Each Council shall make available on the 
Internet Web site of the Council— 
‘‘(i) to the extent practicable, a Webcast, an 
audio recording, or a live broadcast of each meet-
ing of the Council, and of the Council Coordina-
tion Committee established under subsection (l), 
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that is not closed in accordance with paragraph 
(3); and 
‘‘(ii) audio, video (if the meeting was in 
person or by video conference), or a searchable 
audio or written transcript of each meeting of 
the Council and of the meetings of committees re-
ferred to in section 302(g)(1)(B) of the Council 
by not later than 30 days after the conclusion of 
the meeting. 
‘‘(H) The Secretary shall maintain and make 
available to the public an archive of Council and sci-
entific and statistical committee meeting audios, vid-
eos, and transcripts made available under clauses (i) 
and (ii) of subparagraph (G).’’. 
(c) FISHERY IMPACT STATEMENTS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Section 303 (16 U.S.C. 
1853) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph 
(9) and redesignating paragraphs (10) through 
(15) as paragraphs (9) through (14), respec-
tively; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) FISHERY IMPACT STATEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) Any fishery management plan (or fishery 
management plan amendment) prepared by any 
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Council or by the Secretary pursuant to subsection 
(a) or (b), or proposed regulations deemed necessary 
pursuant to subsection (c), shall include a fishery im-
pact statement which shall assess, specify and analyze 
the likely effects and impact of the proposed action on 
the quality of the human environment. 
‘‘(2) The fishery impact statement shall de-
scribe— 
‘‘(A) a purpose of the proposed action; 
‘‘(B) the environmental impact of the pro-
posed action; 
‘‘(C) any adverse environmental effects 
which cannot be avoided should the proposed ac-
tion be implemented; 
‘‘(D) a reasonable range of alternatives to 
the proposed action; 
‘‘(E) the relationship between short-term use 
of fishery resources and the enhancement of long- 
term productivity; 
‘‘(F) the cumulative conservation and man-
agement effects; and 
‘‘(G) economic, and social impacts of the 
proposed action on— 
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‘‘(i) participants in the fisheries and 
fishing communities affected by the pro-
posed action; 
‘‘(ii) participants in the fisheries con-
ducted in adjacent areas under the author-
ity of another Council, after consultation 
with such Council and representatives of 
those participants; and 
‘‘(iii) the safety of human life at sea, 
including whether and to what extent such 
measures may affect the safety of partici-
pants in the fishery. 
‘‘(3) A substantially complete fishery impact 
statement, which may be in draft form, shall be avail-
able not less than 14 days before the beginning of the 
meeting at which a Council makes its final decision 
on the proposal (for plans, plan amendments, or pro-
posed regulations prepared by a Council pursuant to 
subsection (a) or (c)). Availability of this fishery im-
pact statement will be announced by the methods used 
by the council to disseminate public information and 
the public and relevant government agencies will be 
invited to comment on the fishery impact statement. 
‘‘(4) The completed fishery impact statement 
shall accompany the transmittal of a fishery manage-
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ment plan or plan amendment as specified in section 
304(a), as well as the transmittal of proposed regula-
tions as specified in section 304(b). 
‘‘(5) The Councils shall, subject to approval by 
the Secretary, establish criteria to determine actions 
or classes of action of minor significance regarding 
subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), (E), and (F) of para-
graph (2), for which preparation of a fishery impact 
statement is unnecessary and categorically excluded 
from the requirements of this section, and the docu-
mentation required to establish the exclusion. 
‘‘(6) The Councils shall, subject to approval by 
the Secretary, prepare procedures for compliance with 
this section that provide for timely, clear, and concise 
analysis that is useful to decisionmakers and the pub-
lic, reduce extraneous paperwork and effectively in-
volve the public, including— 
‘‘(A) using Council meetings to determine 
the scope of issues to be addressed and identi-
fying significant issues related to the proposed 
action; 
‘‘(B) integration of the fishery impact state-
ment development process with preliminary and 
final Council decisionmaking in a manner that 
provides opportunity for comment from the pub-
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lic and relevant government agencies prior to 
these decision points; and 
‘‘(C) providing scientific, technical, and 
legal advice at an early stage of the development 
of the fishery impact statement to ensure timely 
transmittal and Secretarial review of the pro-
posed fishery management plan, plan amend-
ment, or regulations to the Secretary. 
‘‘(7) Actions taken in accordance with this sec-
tion are deemed to fulfill the requirements of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.) and all related implementing regula-
tions.’’. 
(2) 
EVALUATION
OF
ADEQUACY.—Section 
304(a)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1854(a)(2)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end of subpara-
graph (B), striking the period at the end of subpara-
graph (C) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(D) evaluate the adequacy of the accom-
panying fishery impact statement as basis for 
fully considering the environmental impacts of 
implementing the fishery management plan or 
plan amendment.’’. 
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(3) REVIEW OF REGULATIONS.—Section 304(b) 
(16 U.S.C. 1854(b)) is amended by striking so much 
as precedes subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) REVIEW OF REGULATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) Upon transmittal by the Council to the Sec-
retary of proposed regulations prepared under section 
303(c), the Secretary shall immediately initiate an 
evaluation of the proposed regulations to determine 
whether they are consistent with the fishery manage-
ment plan, plan amendment, this Act and other ap-
plicable law. The Secretary shall also immediately 
initiate an evaluation of the accompanying fishery 
impact statement as a basis for fully considering the 
environmental impacts of implementing the proposed 
regulations. Within 15 days of initiating such evalua-
tion the Secretary shall make a determination and— 
’’. 
(4) EFFECT ON TIME REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
305(e) (16 U.S.C. 1855(e)) is amended by inserting 
‘‘the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.),’’ after ‘‘the Regulatory Flexi-
bility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.),’’. 
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SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON FUTURE CATCH SHARE PROGRAMS. 
(a) CATCH SHARE DEFINED.—Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 
1802) is amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2a) The term ‘catch share’ means any fishery 
management program that allocates a specific per-
centage of the total allowable catch for a fishery, or 
a specific fishing area, to an individual, cooperative, 
community, processor, representative of a commercial 
sector, or regional fishery association established in 
accordance with section 303A(c)(4), or other entity.’’. 
(b) CATCH SHARE REFERENDUM PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 303A(c)(6)(D) (16 
U.S.C. 1853a(c)(6)(D)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(D) CATCH
SHARE
REFERENDUM
PILOT 
PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(i) The New England, Mid-Atlantic, 
South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico Councils 
may not submit a fishery management plan 
or amendment that creates a catch share 
program for a fishery, and the Secretary 
may not approve or implement such a plan 
or amendment submitted by such a Council 
or a secretarial plan or amendment under 
section 304(c) that creates such a program, 
unless the final program has been approved, 
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in a referendum in accordance with this 
subparagraph, by a majority of the permit 
holders eligible to participate in the fishery. 
For multispecies permits in the Gulf of 
Mexico, any permit holder with landings 
from within the sector of the fishery being 
considered for the catch share program 
within the 5-year period preceding the date 
of the referendum and still active in fishing 
in the fishery shall be eligible to participate 
in such a referendum. If a catch share pro-
gram is not approved by the requisite num-
ber of permit holders, it may be revised and 
submitted for approval in a subsequent ref-
erendum. 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary may, at the request 
of the New England Fishery Management 
Council, allow participation in such a ref-
erendum for a fishery under the Council’s 
authority, by fishing vessel crewmembers 
who derive a significant portion of their 
livelihood from such fishing. 
‘‘(iii) The Secretary shall conduct a 
referendum under this subparagraph, in-
cluding notifying all permit holders eligible 
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to participate in the referendum and mak-
ing available to them— 
‘‘(I) a copy of the proposed pro-
gram; 
‘‘(II) an estimate of the costs of 
the program, including costs to partici-
pants; 
‘‘(III) an estimate of the amount 
of fish or percentage of quota each per-
mit holder would be allocated; and 
‘‘(IV) information concerning the 
schedule, procedures, and eligibility re-
quirements for the referendum process. 
‘‘(iv) For the purposes of this subpara-
graph, the term ‘permit holder eligible to 
participate’ only includes the holder of a 
permit for a fishery under which fishing 
has occurred in 3 of the 5 years preceding 
a referendum for the fishery, unless sickness, 
injury, or other unavoidable hardship pre-
vented the permit holder from engaging in 
such fishing. 
‘‘(v) The Secretary may not implement 
any catch share program for any fishery 
managed exclusively by the Secretary unless 
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first petitioned by a majority of those per-
mit holders eligible to participate in the 
fishery.’’. 
(2) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION.—The amend-
ment made by paragraph (1) shall not apply to a 
catch share program that is submitted to, or proposed 
by, the Secretary of Commerce before the date of en-
actment of this Act. 
(3) REGULATIONS.—Before conducting a ref-
erendum under the amendment made by paragraph 
(1), the Secretary of Commerce shall issue regulations 
implementing such amendment after providing an op-
portunity for submission by the public of comments 
on the regulations. 
SEC. 9. REPORT ON FEE. 
Section 304(d)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) The Secretary shall report annually on the 
amount collected under this paragraph from each 
fishery and detail how the funds were spent in the 
prior year on a fishery-by-fishery basis, to— 
‘‘(i) Congress; and 
‘‘(ii) each Council from whose fisheries the 
fee under this paragraph were collected.’’. 
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SEC. 10. DATA COLLECTION AND DATA CONFIDENTIALITY. 
(a) ELECTRONIC MONITORING.— 
(1) ISSUANCE OF REGULATIONS.— 
(A) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall 
issue regulations governing the use of electronic 
monitoring for the purposes of monitoring fish-
eries that are subject to the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 
(B) CONTENT.—The regulations shall— 
(i) distinguish between monitoring for 
data collection and research purposes and 
monitoring for compliance and enforcement 
purposes; and 
(ii) include minimum criteria, objec-
tives, or performance standards for elec-
tronic monitoring. 
(C) PROCESS.—In issuing the regulations 
the Secretary shall— 
(i) consult with the Councils and fish-
ery management commissions; 
(ii) publish the proposed regulations; 
and 
(iii) provide an opportunity for the 
submission by the public of comments on 
the proposed regulations. 
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(2) IMPLEMENTATION OF MONITORING.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph 
(B), and after the issuance of the final regula-
tions, a Council, or the Secretary for fisheries re-
ferred to in section 302(a)(3) of the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(3)), may, in accordance 
with the regulations, on a fishery-by-fishery basis 
and consistent with the existing objectives and 
management goals of a fishery management plan 
and the Act for a fishery issued by the Council 
or the Secretary, respectively, amend such 
plan— 
(i) to incorporate electronic monitoring 
as an alternative tool for data collection 
and monitoring purposes or for compliance 
and enforcement purposes (or both); and 
(ii) to allow for the replacement of a 
percentage of on-board observers with elec-
tronic monitoring. 
(B) COMPARABILITY.—Subparagraph (A) 
shall apply to a fishery only if the Council or 
Secretary, respectively, determines that such 
monitoring will yield comparable data collection 
and compliance results. 
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(3) PILOT
PROJECTS.—Before the issuance of 
final regulations, a Council, or the Secretary for fish-
eries referred to in section 302(a)(3), may, subject to 
the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, on a fishery-by- 
fishery basis, and consistent with the existing objec-
tives and management goals of a fishery management 
plan for a fishery issued by the Council or the Sec-
retary, respectively, conduct a pilot project for the use 
of electronic monitoring for the fishery. 
(4) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall issue final 
regulations under this subsection by not later than 12 
months after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) VIDEO AND ACOUSTIC SURVEY TECHNOLOGIES.— 
The Secretary shall work with the Regional Fishery Man-
agement Councils and nongovernmental entities to develop 
and implement the use pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.) of video survey technologies and expanded use 
of acoustic survey technologies. 
(c) CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 402(b) (16 U.S.C. 
1881a(b)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
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(i) by amending subparagraph (B) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(B) to State or Marine Fisheries Commis-
sion employees as necessary for achievement of 
the purposes of this Act, subject to a confiden-
tiality agreement between the State or Commis-
sion, respectively, and the Secretary that pro-
hibits public disclosure of the identity of any 
person and of confidential information;’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘limited 
access’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘catch 
share’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (G), by striking 
‘‘limited 
access’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘catch 
share’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by inserting ‘‘, and information 
obtained through a vessel monitoring system 
or other technology used onboard a fishing 
vessel for enforcement or data collection 
purposes,’’ after ‘‘information’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘or’’ after the semi-
colon at the end of subparagraph (B); and 
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(iii) by striking subparagraph (C) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(C) as authorized by any regulations 
issued under paragraph (6) allowing the collec-
tion of observer information, pursuant to a con-
fidentiality agreement between the observers, ob-
server employers, and the Secretary prohibiting 
disclosure of the information by the observers or 
observer employers, in order— 
‘‘(i) to allow the sharing of observer in-
formation among observers and between ob-
servers and observer employers as necessary 
to train and prepare observers for deploy-
ments on specific vessels; or 
‘‘(ii) to validate the accuracy of the ob-
server information collected; or 
‘‘(D) to other persons if the Secretary has 
obtained written authorization from the person 
who submitted such information or from the per-
son on whose vessel the information was col-
lected, to release such information for reasons not 
otherwise provided for in this subsection.’’; 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (6); and 
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(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) Any information submitted to the Secretary, 
a State fisheries management agency, or a Marine 
Fisheries Commission by any person in compliance 
with the requirements of this Act, including confiden-
tial information, may only be used for purposes of 
fisheries management and monitoring and enforce-
ment under this Act. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary may enter into a memo-
randum of understanding with the heads of other 
Federal agencies for the sharing of confidential infor-
mation to ensure safety of life at sea or for fisheries 
enforcement purposes, including information obtained 
through a vessel monitoring system or other electronic 
enforcement and monitoring systems, if— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary determines there is a 
compelling need to do so; and 
‘‘(B) the heads of the other Federal agencies 
agree— 
‘‘(i) to maintain the confidentiality of 
the information in accordance with the re-
quirements that apply to the Secretary 
under this section; and 
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‘‘(ii) to use the information only for 
the purposes for which it was shared with 
the agencies. 
‘‘(5) The Secretary may not provide any vessel- 
specific or aggregate vessel information from a fishery 
that is collected for monitoring and enforcement pur-
poses to any person for the purposes of coastal and 
marine spatial planning under Executive Order 
13547, unless the Secretary determines that providing 
such information is important for maintaining or en-
hancing national security or for ensuring fishermen 
continued access to fishing grounds.’’. 
(2) CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION
DEFINED.— 
Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 1802) is further amended by in-
serting after paragraph (4) the following: 
‘‘(4a) 
The 
term 
‘confidential 
information’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) trade secrets; 
‘‘(B) proprietary information; 
‘‘(C) observer information; and 
‘‘(D) commercial or financial information 
the disclosure of which is likely to result in harm 
to the competitive position of the person that 
submitted the information to the Secretary.’’. 
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(d) INCREASED DATA COLLECTION AND ACTIONS TO 
ADDRESS DATA-POOR FISHERIES.—Section 404 (16 U.S.C. 
1881c) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) USE OF THE ASSET FORFEITURE FUND FOR 
FISHERY INDEPENDENT DATA COLLECTION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) The Secretary, subject to appropria-
tions, may obligate for data collection purposes 
in accordance with prioritizations under para-
graph (3) a portion of amounts received by the 
United States as fisheries enforcement penalties. 
‘‘(B) Amounts may be obligated under this 
paragraph only in the fishery management re-
gion with respect to which they are collected. 
‘‘(2) INCLUDED
PURPOSES.—The purposes re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) include— 
‘‘(A) the use of State personnel and re-
sources, including fishery survey vessels owned 
and maintained by States to survey or assess 
data-poor fisheries for which fishery management 
plans are in effect under this Act; and 
‘‘(B) cooperative research activities author-
ized under section 318 to improve or enhance the 
fishery independent data used in fishery stock 
assessments. 
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‘‘(3) DATA-POOR FISHERIES PRIORITY LISTS.— 
Each Council shall— 
‘‘(A) identify those fisheries in its region 
considered to be data-poor fisheries; 
‘‘(B) prioritize those fisheries based on the 
need of each fishery for up-to-date information; 
and 
‘‘(C) provide those priorities to the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘data-poor fishery’ means a 
fishery— 
‘‘(i) that has not been surveyed in the 
preceding 5-year period; 
‘‘(ii) for which a fishery stock assess-
ment has not been performed within the 
preceding 5-year period; or 
‘‘(iii) for which limited information on 
the status of the fishery is available for 
management purposes. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘fisheries enforcement pen-
alties’ means any fine or penalty imposed, or 
proceeds of any property seized, for a violation 
of this Act or of any other marine resource law 
enforced by the Secretary. 
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‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary for each fiscal year to carry out this subsection 
up to 80 percent of the fisheries enforcement penalties 
collected during the preceding fiscal year.’’. 
SEC. 11. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 318 (16 U.S.C. 1867) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before 
the first sentence, and by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) Within one year after the date of enactment of 
the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing 
Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, and after con-
sultation with the Councils, the Secretary shall publish a 
plan for implementing and conducting the program estab-
lished in paragraph (1). Such plan shall identify and de-
scribe critical regional fishery management and research 
needs, possible projects that may address those needs, and 
estimated costs for such projects. The plan shall be revised 
and updated every 5 years, and updated plans shall include 
a brief description of projects that were funded in the prior 
5-year period and the research and management needs that 
were addressed by those projects.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
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(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FUNDING’’ 
and inserting ‘‘PRIORITIES’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking all after 
‘‘including’’ and inserting an em dash, followed 
on the next line by the following: 
‘‘(A) the use of fishing vessels or acoustic or 
other marine technology; 
‘‘(B) expanding the use of electronic catch 
reporting programs and technology; and 
‘‘(C) improving monitoring and observer 
coverage through the expanded use of electronic 
monitoring devices.’’. 
SEC. 12. COUNCIL JURISDICTION FOR OVERLAPPING FISH-
ERIES. 
Section 302(a)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), in the second sen-
tence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘18’’ and inserting ‘‘19’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting before the period at the end 
‘‘and a liaison who is a member of the Mid-At-
lantic Fishery Management Council to represent 
the interests of fisheries under the jurisdiction of 
such Council’’; and 
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(2) in subparagraph (B), in the second sen-
tence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘21’’ and inserting ‘‘22’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting before the period at the end 
‘‘and a liaison who is a member of the New Eng-
land Fishery Management Council to represent 
the interests of fisheries under the jurisdiction of 
such Council’’. 
SEC. 13. GULF OF MEXICO FISHERIES COOPERATIVE RE-
SEARCH AND RED SNAPPER MANAGEMENT. 
(a) REPEAL.—Section 407 (16 U.S.C. 1883), and the 
item relating to such section in the table of contents in the 
first section, are repealed. 
(b) REPORTING AND DATA COLLECTION PROGRAM.— 
The Secretary of Commerce shall— 
(1) in conjunction with the States, the Gulf of 
Mexico Fishery Management Council, and the rec-
reational fishing sectors, develop and implement a 
real-time reporting and data collection program for 
the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery using available 
technology; and 
(2) make implementation of this subsection a 
priority for funds received by the Secretary and allo-
cated to this region under section 2 of the Act of Au-
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gust 11, 1939 (commonly known as the ‘‘Saltonstall- 
Kennedy Act’’) (15 U.S.C. 713c–3). 
(c) FISHERIES COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM.— 
The Secretary of Commerce— 
(1) shall, in conjunction with the States, the Gulf 
States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Gulf of Mex-
ico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Coun-
cils, and the commercial, charter, and recreational 
fishing sectors, develop and implement a cooperative 
research program authorized under section 318 for the 
fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic re-
gions, giving priority to those fisheries that are con-
sidered data-poor; and 
(2) may, subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, use funds received by the Secretary under sec-
tion 2 of the Act of August 11, 1939 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Saltonstall-Kennedy Act’’) (15 U.S.C. 
713c–3) to implement this subsection. 
(d) STOCK SURVEYS AND STOCK ASSESSMENTS.—The 
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Marine 
Fisheries Service Regional Administrator of the Southeast 
Regional Office, shall for purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.)— 
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(1) develop a schedule of stock surveys and stock 
assessments for the Gulf of Mexico Region and the 
South Atlantic Region for the 5-year period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act and for every 
5-year period thereafter; 
(2) direct the Southeast Science Center Director 
to implement such schedule; and 
(3) in such development and implementation— 
(A) give priority to those stocks that are 
commercially or recreationally important; and 
(B) ensure that each such important stock is 
surveyed at least every 5 years. 
(e) USE OF FISHERIES INFORMATION IN STOCK AS-
SESSMENTS.—The Southeast Science Center Director shall 
ensure that fisheries information made available through 
fisheries programs funded under Public Law 112–141 is in-
corporated as soon as possible into any fisheries stock as-
sessments conducted after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(f) STATE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN THE GULF OF 
MEXICO
WITH
RESPECT
TO
RED
SNAPPER.—Section 
306(b) (16 U.S.C. 1856(b)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(4) Notwithstanding section 3(11), for the purposes 
of managing the recreational sector of the Gulf of Mexico 
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red snapper fishery, the seaward boundary of a coastal 
State in the Gulf of Mexico is a line 9 miles seaward from 
the baseline from which the territorial sea of the United 
States is measured.’’. 
(g) FUNDING
OF STOCK ASSESSMENTS.—The Sec-
retary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, shall 
enter into a cooperative agreement for the funding of stock 
assessments that are necessitated by any action by the Bu-
reau with respect to offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico 
that adversely impacts red snapper. 
SEC. 14. NORTH PACIFIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT CLARI-
FICATION. 
Section 306(a)(3)(C) (16 U.S.C. 1856(a)(3)(C)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘was no’’ and inserting ‘‘is no’’; 
and 
(2) by striking ‘‘on August 1, 1996’’. 
SEC. 15. ENSURING CONSISTENT MANAGEMENT FOR FISH-
ERIES THROUGHOUT THEIR RANGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 4 the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 5. ENSURING CONSISTENT FISHERIES MANAGEMENT 
UNDER CERTAIN OTHER FEDERAL LAWS. 
‘‘(a) NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT AND AN-
TIQUITIES ACT OF 1906.—In any case of a conflict between 
this Act and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 
U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) or the Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 
U.S.C. 431 et seq.), this Act shall control. 
‘‘(b) FISHERIES RESTRICTIONS UNDER ENDANGERED 
SPECIES ACT OF 1973.—To ensure transparency and con-
sistent management of fisheries throughout their range, any 
restriction on the management of fish in the exclusive eco-
nomic zone that is necessary to implement a recovery plan 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.) shall be implemented— 
‘‘(1) using authority under this Act; and 
‘‘(2) in accordance with processes and time 
schedules required under this Act.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in 
the first section is amended by inserting after the item relat-
ing to section 3 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 4. Authorization of appropriations. 
‘‘Sec. 5. Ensuring consistent fisheries management under certain other Federal 
laws.’’. 
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SEC. 16. LIMITATION ON HARVEST IN NORTH PACIFIC DI-
RECTED POLLOCK FISHERY. 
Section 210(e)(1) of the American Fisheries Act (title 
II of division C of Public Law 105–277; 16 U.S.C. 1851 
note) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) HARVESTING.— 
‘‘(A) LIMITATION.—No particular indi-
vidual, corporation, or other entity may harvest, 
through a fishery cooperative or otherwise, a per-
centage of the pollock available to be harvested in 
the directed pollock fishery that exceeds the per-
centage established for purposes of this para-
graph by the North Pacific Council. 
‘‘(B) MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE.—The percent-
age established by the North Pacific Council 
shall not exceed 24 percent of the pollock avail-
able to be harvested in the directed pollock fish-
ery.’’. 
SEC. 17. RECREATIONAL FISHING DATA. 
(a) 
RECREATIONAL
DATA
COLLECTION.—Section 
401(g) (16 U.S.C. 1881(g)) is amended by redesignating 
paragraph (4) as paragraph (5), and by inserting after 
paragraph (3) the following: 
‘‘(4) FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIPS.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall 
establish partnerships with States to develop best 
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practices for implementation of State programs 
established pursuant to paragraph (2). 
‘‘(B) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary shall de-
velop guidance, in cooperation with the States, 
that details best practices for administering 
State programs pursuant to paragraph (2), and 
provide such guidance to the States. 
‘‘(C) BIENNIAL
REPORT.—The Secretary 
shall submit to the Congress and publish bien-
nial reports that include— 
‘‘(i) the estimated accuracy of the reg-
istry program established under paragraph 
(1) and of State programs that are exempt-
ed under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(ii) priorities for improving rec-
reational fishing data collection; and 
‘‘(iii) an explanation of any use of in-
formation collected by such State programs 
and by the Secretary, including a descrip-
tion of any consideration given to the infor-
mation by the Secretary. 
‘‘(D) STATES GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary shall make grants to States to improve 
implementation of State programs consistent 
with 
this 
subsection. 
The 
Secretary 
shall 
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prioritize such grants based on the ability of the 
grant to improve the quality and accuracy of 
such programs.’’. 
(b) STUDY ON RECREATIONAL FISHERIES DATA.— 
Section 401(g) (16 U.S.C. 1881(g)) is further amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) STUDY ON PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 
after the enactment of this paragraph, the Sec-
retary shall enter into an agreement with the 
National Research Council of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences to study the implementation of 
the programs described in this section. The study 
shall— 
‘‘(i) provide an updated assessment of 
recreational survey methods established or 
improved since the publication of the Coun-
cil’s report ‘Review of Recreational Fish-
eries Survey Methods (2006)’; 
‘‘(ii) evaluate the extent to which the 
recommendations made in that report were 
implemented pursuant to paragraph (3)(B); 
and 
‘‘(iii) examine any limitations of the 
Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Sur-
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vey and the Marine Recreational Informa-
tion Program established under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 
entering into an agreement under subparagraph 
(A), the Secretary shall submit a report to Con-
gress on the results of the study under subpara-
graph (A).’’. 
SEC. 18. STOCK ASSESSMENTS USED FOR FISHERIES MAN-
AGED UNDER GULF OF MEXICO COUNCIL’S 
REEF FISH MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV (16 U.S.C. 1881 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 409. STOCK ASSESSMENTS USED FOR FISHERIES 
MANAGED UNDER GULF OF MEXICO COUN-
CIL’S REEF FISH MANAGEMENT PLAN. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Gulf States Marine Fisheries 
Commission shall conduct all fishery stock assessments used 
for management purposes by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council for the fisheries managed under the 
Council’s Reef Fish Management Plan. 
‘‘(b) USE OF OTHER INFORMATION AND ASSETS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Such fishery assessments 
shall— 
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‘‘(A) incorporate fisheries survey informa-
tion collected by university researchers; and 
‘‘(B) to the extent practicable, use State, 
university, and private assets to conduct fisheries 
surveys. 
‘‘(2) SURVEYS AT ARTIFICIAL REEFS.—Any such 
fishery stock assessment conducted after the date of the 
enactment of the Strengthening Fishing Communities 
and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management 
Act shall incorporate fishery surveys conducted, and 
other relevant fisheries information collected, on and 
around natural and artificial reefs. 
‘‘(c) CONSTITUENT
AND STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPA-
TION.—Each such fishery assessment shall— 
‘‘(1) emphasize constituent and stakeholder par-
ticipation in the development of the assessment; 
‘‘(2) contain all of the raw data used in the as-
sessment and a description of the methods used to col-
lect that data; and 
‘‘(3) employ an assessment process that is trans-
parent and includes— 
‘‘(A) includes a rigorous and independent 
scientific review of the completed fishery stock 
assessment; and 
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‘‘(B) a panel of independent experts to re-
view the data and assessment and make rec-
ommendations on the most appropriate values of 
critical population and management quan-
tities.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in 
the first section is amended by adding at the end of the 
items relating to title IV the following: 
‘‘Sec. 408. Deep sea coral research and technology program. 
‘‘Sec. 409. Stock assessments used for fisheries managed under Gulf of Mexico 
Council’s Reef Fish Management Plan.’’. 
SEC. 19. ESTIMATION OF COST OF RECOVERY FROM FISH-
ERY RESOURCE DISASTER. 
Section 312(a)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1861a(1)) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(1)’’; 
(2) by redesignating existing subparagraphs (A) 
through (C) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, 
of subparagraph (A) (as designated by the amend-
ment made by paragraph (1)); and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall publish the estimated cost of 
recovery from a fishery resource disaster no later than 30 
days after the Secretary makes the determination under 
subparagraph (A) with respect to such disaster.’’. 
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SEC. 20. DEADLINE FOR ACTION ON REQUEST BY GOV-
ERNOR FOR DETERMINATION REGARDING 
FISHERY RESOURCE DISASTER. 
Section 312(a) (16 U.S.C. 1861a(a)) is amended by 
redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as paragraphs (3) 
through (5), and by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall make a decision regarding a 
request from a Governor under paragraph (1) within 90 
days after receiving an estimate of the economic impact of 
the fishery resource disaster from the entity requesting the 
relief.’’. 
SEC. 21. PROHIBITION ON CONSIDERING RED SNAPPER 
KILLED DURING REMOVAL OF OIL RIGS. 
Any red snapper that are killed during the removal 
of any offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico shall not be 
considered in determining under the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.) whether the total allowable catch for red snap-
per has been reached. 
SEC. 22. PROHIBITION ON CONSIDERING FISH SEIZED 
FROM FOREIGN FISHING. 
Any fish that are seized from a foreign vessel engaged 
in illegal fishing activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone 
shall not be considered in determining under the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 
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