SEC. 22. PROVISIONS RELATING TO GULF OF MEXICO.
(a) FISHERY
ASSESSMENTS.—Section 304(e) (16
U.S.C. 1854(e)) is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new paragraph:
‘‘(5) The Secretary shall develop and implement a sys-
tematic program for the assessment and annual reporting
to the public of the status of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico
subject to management under this Act. Such program
shall—
‘‘(A) provide for the use of peer-review panels
consisting of independent and external experts;
‘‘(B) not exclude peer-reviewers merely because
they represent entities that may have an interest or
potential interest in the outcome, if that interest is
fully disclosed to the Secretary;
‘‘(C) provide opportunity to become part of a
peer-review panel at a minimum by soliciting nomi-
nations through the Federal Register; and
‘‘(D) ensure that all comment and opinions of
such peer-review panels are made available to the
public.’’.
(b) FISHERY MONITORING.—Section 304 (16 U.S.C.
1854) is further amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
‘‘(m) FISHERY MONITORING.—(1) The Secretary shall
develop a plan for the Gulf of Mexico region to collect, as-
sess, and report statistics concerning the fisheries in each
such region.
‘‘(2) The plan under this subsection shall—
‘‘(A) provide fishery managers and the public
with timely and accurate information concerning
harvests and fishing effort;
‘‘(B) minimize paperwork and regulatory bur-
dens on fishermen and fish buyers;
‘‘(C) minimize costs to Federal and State agen-
cies;
‘‘(D) avoid duplication and inconsistencies in
the collection, assessment, and reporting of fishery
statistics; and
‘‘(E) ensure the confidentiality of information.
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that fishermen, fish
buyers, and other individuals potentially impacted by the
plan required under this subsection are actively involved
in all stages of the development of such plan and that ap-
propriate fishery management agencies are consulted.
‘‘(4) No later than 9 months after the date of enact-
ment of the Fishery Conservation and Management Amend-
ments of 1995, the Secretary shall publish notice of a pro-
posed plan required under this subsection and provide the
public with a reasonable opportunity to comment on such
proposed plan. The Secretary shall consider such comments
before submitting the plan under paragraph (5).
‘‘(5) No later than one year after the date of enactment
of the Fishery Conservation and Management Amendments
of 1995, the Secretary shall submit a final plan under this
subsection to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate.’’.
(c) GULF OF MEXICO RED SNAPPER STOCK MANAGE-
MENT STUDY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce
shall have an independent analysis conducted that
will evaluate—
(A) the methods, data, and models used to
assess the status of Gulf of Mexico red snapper
stock assessments;
(B) the effectiveness of the fishery manage-
ment plan in effect under the Magnuson Fishery
Conservation and Management Act that applies
to Gulf of Mexico red snapper, in terms of the
appropriateness of the management goal and
time frame given the available biological data;
and
(C) regulations in effect under that Act that
apply to Gulf of Mexico red snapper, in the
terms of the effectiveness of fairly controlling
fishing mortality.
(2) STUDY REQUIREMENTS.—The study shall—
(A) assess all alternatives that could provide
a more balanced and practical approach to man-
aging the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mex-
ico;
(B) involve commercial and recreational
fishermen from the Gulf of Mexico in the collec-
tion of data and information and in the develop-
ment of an accurate assessment plan; and
(C) be completed and reported to the Con-
gress and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Manage-
ment Council within 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(3) USE OF REPORT.—It is expected for the re-
port on the study under this subsection to be used as
the foundation for any future management of red
snapper in the Gulf of Mexico by the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council or the National Marine
Fisheries Service (or both). It is also expected that the
Council will suspend the implementation of any indi-
vidual fishing quota plan for red snapper in the Gulf
of Mexico until the study is completed and until the
Secretary of Commerce has completed standards or
guidelines.
(4) LIMITED IMMUNITY.—Individuals providing
credible information to receive the most accurate as-
sessments shall not be subject to any catch reporting
violations.
SEC. 23. STUDY OF CONTRIBUTION OF BYCATCH TO CHARI-
TABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Commerce shall conduct
a study of the contribution of bycatch to charitable organi-
zations by commercial fishermen. The study shall include
determination of—
(1) the amount of bycatch that is contributed
each year to charitable organizations by commercial
fishermen;
(2) the economic benefits to commercial fisher-
men from those contributions; and
(3) the impact on fisheries of the availability of
those benefits.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall
submit to the Congress a report containing determinations
made in the study under subsection (a).
(c) BYCATCH DEFINED.—In this section the term
‘‘bycatch’’ has the meaning given that term in section 3(34)
of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, as amended by section 4 of this Act.
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