To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to clarify the definition of "essential fish habitat", and for other purposes.

Bill: 108-hr-3645
Sponsor: Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
Introduced: 2003-11-21 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Alaska
Americans in foreign countries
Animals
Annuities
Bering Sea
Canada
Community development
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Commerce
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Fishery management
Government Operations and Politics
Habitat conservation
Housing and Community Development
Infrastructure
International Affairs
International agencies
International employees
Labor and Employment
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Overfishing
Planning
Shellfish
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: 
Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to redefine the term &quot;essential fish habitat&quot; as existing within the exclusive economic zone (established by Presidential Proclamation No. 5030) only in discrete areas.
 
Changes from a mandatory to a discretionary element of a fishery management plan any measure to minimize fishing-related adverse effects on essential fish habitat.
 
Specifies additional circumstances in which the specified time period for ending overfishing and rebuilding fisheries may exceed ten years.
 
Deems any fishery management plan, amendment, or implementing regulation prepared in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act to be in compliance with environmental impact statement requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
 
Amends the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Crab Rationalization Program to require that: (1) Blue Dutch, LLC receive specified &quot;Class A&quot; crab processing quota shares; and (2) applicable regulations include proportionate reductions of such shares for other holders.
 
Deems communities currently approved for participation in the western Alaska community development quota program under specified laws to have met eligibility criteria for program participation under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Amends the American Fisheries Act, in the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, to increase from ten percent to 12 percent the portion of the total allowable catch of pollock in the BSAI Management Area that is required to be allocated to the western Alaska program.
 
Requires the President to calculate and submit a report to specified congressional committees on the difference between the value in U.S. versus Canadian currency of annuity payments to U.S. citizens who worked in Canada for specified international fisheries commissions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-12-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
action_date: 2003-12-02
text: Executive Comment Requested from Commerce.
action_date: 2003-11-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2407)
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Introduced in House