113 
SEC. 205. RESTORATION STUDY. 
Title III (16 U.S.C. 1851 et seq.), as amended by 
section 205, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 319. RESTORATION STUDY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may conduct a 
study to update scientific information and protocols need-
ed to improve restoration techniques for a variety of coast 
habitat types and synthesize the results in a format easily 
understandable by restoration practitioners and local com-
munities. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for fiscal year 
2007 to conduct this study.’’. 
SEC. 206. FISHERIES CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT 
FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and 
maintain a fund, to be known as the ‘‘Fisheries Conserva-
tion and Management Fund’’, which shall consist of 
amounts retained and deposited into the Fund under sub-
section (c). 
(b) PURPOSES.—Subject to the allocation of funds 
described in subsection (d), amounts in the Fund shall be 
available to the Secretary of Commerce, without appro-
priation or fiscal year limitation, to disburse as described 
in subsection (e) for— 
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(1) efforts to improve fishery harvest data col-
lection including— 
(A) expanding the use of electronic catch 
reporting programs and technology; and 
(B) improvement of monitoring and ob-
server coverage through the expanded use of 
electronic monitoring devices and satellite track-
ing systems such as VMS on small vessels; 
(2) cooperative fishery research and analysis, in 
collaboration with fishery participants, academic in-
stitutions, community residents, and other interested 
parties; 
(3) development of methods or new technologies 
to improve the quality, health safety, and value of 
fish landed; 
(4) conducting analysis of fish and seafood for 
health benefits and risks, including levels of con-
taminants and, where feasible, the source of such 
contaminants; 
(5) marketing of sustainable United States fish-
ery products, including consumer education regard-
ing the health or other benefits of wild fishery prod-
ucts harvested by vessels of the United States; and 
(6) providing financial assistance to fishermen 
to offset the costs of modifying fishing practices and 
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gear to meet the requirements of this Act, the Mag-
nuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and other Fed-
eral laws in pari materia. 
(c) DEPOSITS TO THE FUND.— 
(1) QUOTA
SET-ASIDES.—Any amount gen-
erated through quota set-asides established by a 
Council under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con-
servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et 
seq.) and designated by the Council for inclusion in 
the Fishery Conservation and Management Fund, 
may be deposited in the Fund. 
(2) OTHER FUNDS.—In addition to amounts re-
ceived under sections 311(e)(1)(G) of the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1861(e)(1)(G), and amounts received 
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, the 
Fishery Conservation and Management Fund may 
also receive funds from— 
(A) appropriations for the purposes of this 
section; and 
(B) States or other public sources or pri-
vate or non-profit organizations for purposes of 
this section. 
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116 
(d) REGIONAL ALLOCATION.—The Secretary shall, 
every 2 years, apportion monies from the Fund among the 
eight Council regions according to consensus recommenda-
tions of the Councils, based on regional priorities identi-
fied through the Council process, except that no region 
shall receive less than 5 percent of the Fund in each allo-
cation period. 
(e) LIMITATION ON THE USE OF THE FUND.—No 
amount made available from the Fund may be used to de-
fray the costs of carrying out other requirements of this 
Act or the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 
SEC. 207. USE OF FISHERY FINANCE PROGRAM AND CAP-
ITAL CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR SUSTAIN-
ABLE PURPOSES. 
(a) 
PURPOSE
OF
OBLIGATIONS.—Section 
1104A(a)(7) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 
U.S.C. App. 1274(a)(7)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(7) financing or refinancing including, 
‘‘(A) the reimbursement of obligors for ex-
penditures previously made, for the purchase of 
individual fishing quotas in accordance with 
section 303(d)(4) of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act; 
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‘‘(B) activities that assist in the transition 
to reduced fishing capacity; or 
‘‘(C) technologies or upgrades designed to 
improve collection and reporting of fishery-de-
pendent data, to reduce bycatch and seabird by-
catch, to improve selectivity or reduce adverse 
impacts of fishing gear, or to improve safety.’’. 
(b) EXPANSION
OF
PURPOSES
FOR
QUALIFIED 
WITHDRAWALS.—Section 607(f)(1) of the Merchant Ma-
rine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 1177(f)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘for:’’ and inserting ‘‘for—’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘vessel,’’ in subparagraph (A) 
and inserting ‘‘vessel;’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘vessel, or’’ in subparagraph 
(B) and inserting ‘‘vessel;’’; 
(D) by striking ‘‘vessel.’’ in subparagraph (C) 
and inserting ‘‘vessel;’’; and 
(E) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) in the case of any person for whose 
benefit the fund was established and who par-
ticipates in the fishing capacity reduction pro-
gram under section 312 of the Magnuson-Ste-
vens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a)— 
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‘‘(i) if such person remains in the 
fishery, the satisfaction of any debt obliga-
tion undertaken pursuant to such program; 
and 
‘‘(ii) if such person withdraws 1 or 
more vessels from the fishery, the substi-
tution of amounts the person would other-
wise receive under such program for such 
person’s vessel or permit to engage in the 
fishery; 
‘‘(E) the repair, maintenance, or upgrade 
of an eligible vessel or its equipment for the 
purpose of— 
‘‘(i) making conservation engineering 
changes to reduce bycatch, improve selec-
tivity of fishing gear, or reduce adverse im-
pacts of fishing gear; 
‘‘(ii) improving vessel safety; or 
‘‘(iii) acquiring, installing, or upgrad-
ing equipment to improve collection, re-
porting, or accuracy of fishery data; or 
‘‘(F) the acquisition, construction, recon-
struction, upgrading, or investment in shoreside 
fishery-related facilities or infrastructure in the 
United States for the purpose of promoting 
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United States ownership of fishery-related fa-
cilities in the United States without contrib-
uting to overcapacity in the sector.’’. 
SEC. 208. DEEP SEA CORAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 
PROGRAM. 
Title IV (16 U.S.C. 1881 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 408. DEEP SEA CORAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with appropriate regional fishery management councils 
and in coordination with other Federal agencies and edu-
cational institutions, shall establish a program— 
‘‘(1) to identify existing research on, and known 
locations of, deep sea corals and submit such infor-
mation to the appropriate Councils; 
‘‘(2) to locate and map locations of deep sea 
corals and submit such information to the Councils; 
‘‘(3) to monitor activity in locations where deep 
sea corals are known or likely to occur, based on 
best 
scientific 
information 
available, 
including 
through underwater or remote sensing technologies 
and submit such information to the appropriate 
Councils; 
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‘‘(4) to conduct research, including cooperative 
research with fishing industry participants, on deep 
sea corals and related species, and on survey meth-
ods; 
‘‘(5) to develop technologies or methods de-
signed to assist fishing industry participants in re-
ducing interactions between fishing gear and deep 
sea corals; and 
‘‘(6) to prioritize program activities in areas 
where deep sea corals are known to occur, and in 
areas where scientific modeling or other methods 
predict deep sea corals are likely to be present. 
‘‘(b) REPORTING.—Beginning 1 year after the date 
of enactment of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conserva-
tion and Management Amendments Act of 2006, the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Councils, shall submit bi-
ennial reports to Congress and the public on steps taken 
by the Secretary to identify and monitor, and the Councils 
to protect, deep sea coral areas, including summaries of 
the results of mapping, research, and data collection per-
formed under the program.’’. 
SEC. 209. IMPACT OF TURTLE EXCLUDER DEVICES ON 
SHRIMPING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall execute an agree-
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ment with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct, 
jointly, a multi-year, comprehensive in-water study de-
signed— 
(1) to measure accurately the efforts and ef-
fects of shrimp fishery efforts to utilize turtle ex-
cluder devices; 
(2) to analyze the impact of those efforts on sea 
turtle mortality, including interaction between tur-
tles and shrimp trawlers in the inshore, nearshore, 
and offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico and simi-
lar geographical locations in the waters of the 
Southeastern United States; and 
(3) to evaluate innovative technologies to in-
crease shrimp retention in turtle excluder devices 
while ensuring the protection of endangered and 
threatened sea turtles. 
(b) OBSERVERS.—In conducting the study, the 
Under Secretary shall ensure that observers are placed on-
board commercial shrimp fishing vessels where appro-
priate or necessary. 
(c) INTERIM REPORTS.—During the course of the 
study and until a final report is submitted to the Senate 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
and the House of Representatives Committee on Re-
sources, the National Academy of Sciences shall transmit 
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interim reports to the Committees biannually containing 
a summary of preliminary findings and conclusions from 
the study. 
SEC. 210. HURRICANE EFFECTS ON SHRIMP AND OYSTER 
FISHERIES AND HABITATS. 
(a) FISHERIES REPORT.—Within 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 
shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Rep-
resentatives Committee on Resources on the impact of 
Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Wilma 
on— 
(1) commercial and recreational fisheries in the 
States of Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, 
and Texas, including the extent of recovery of such 
fisheries from such impacts; 
(2) shrimp fishing vessels in those States; and 
(3) the oyster industry in those States. 
(b) HABITAT REPORT.—Within 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 
shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Rep-
resentatives Committee on Resources on the impact of 
Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Wilma 
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on habitat, including the habitat of shrimp and oysters 
in those States. 
(c) HABITAT RESTORATION.—The Secretary shall 
carry out activities to restore fishery habitats, including 
the shrimp and oyster habitats in Louisiana and Mis-
sissippi. 
TITLE III—OTHER FISHERIES 
STATUTES 
SEC. 301. REAUTHORIZATION OF OTHER FISHERIES ACTS. 
(a) ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS CONSERVATION ACT.— 
Section 7(a) of the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act 
(16 U.S.C. 5156(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—For each of fiscal years 
2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, there are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act— 
‘‘(1) $1,000,000 to the Secretary of Commerce; 
and 
‘‘(2) $250,000 to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior.’’. 
(b) YUKON RIVER SALMON ACT OF 2000.—Section 
208 of the Yukon River Salmon Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
5727) is amended by striking ‘‘$4,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2004 through 2008,’’ and inserting ‘‘$4,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2010,’’. 
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