Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act along with my colleague Senator Whitehouse. This legislation seeks to address a longstanding inequity in our nation's fisheries management system that denies Rhode Island a voice in the management of many stocks that our fishing industry relies on.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Rhode Island has voting membership on the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) since NEFMC-managed stocks represent a significant percentage of landings and revenue for our state. However, Rhode Island has an even larger stake in Mid- Atlantic fisheries. Yet, it does not have voting representation on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which currently consists of representatives from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

According to data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), between 2015 and 2019, Rhode Island accounted for approximately a quarter of the commercial landings from stocks under MAFMC's sole jurisdiction, both by weight and value. The significance of commercial landings from stocks managed by MAFMC is growing every year for Rhode Island, accounting for 58% of Rhode Island's federally managed commercial fisheries landings in 2019.

After making an appearance during last summer's Democratic National Convention, Rhode Island calamari quickly became a social media sensation, and for good reason. Calamari (or squid) is by far the most important commercial species in the Ocean State. In 2019 alone, Rhode Island landed over 5.5 million more pounds of squid than any other state on the East Coast. But, Rhode Island does not have a formal say in how this species is managed because it does not have representation on the MAFMC.

The legislation we are introducing offers a simple solution with a sound precedent. North Carolina was added to the MAFMC as part of the Sustainable Fisheries Act in 1996. Like Rhode Island, a significant portion of North Carolina's landed fish species were managed by the MAFMC, yet the state was not represented on the council.

Just like the 1996 law that added North Carolina, the Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act would create two seats for our state on the MAFMC. One seat would be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce based on recommendations from the Governor of Rhode Island, and a second seat would be filled by Rhode Island's principal state official with marine fishery management responsibility. To accommodate these new members, the bill would increase the MAFMC from 21 to 23 voting members. This would guarantee Rhode Island the same minimum representation as other states currently on the council, without altering their status.

With mounting economic, ecological, and regulatory challenges, it is more important than ever that Rhode Island fishermen have a voice in the management of the fisheries they depend on. I urge our colleagues to join us in supporting this commonsense legislation.

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