Oceans and Fisheries

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Rep. Tom Allen is a leader in the House on ocean, coastal, and fisheries issues. In 1999, he co-founded the bipartisan House Oceans Caucus. The purpose of the Caucus is to foster greater understanding of oceans issues among Members of Congress and their staffs. Throughout his tenure in the House of Representatives, Rep. Allen has worked to ensure that federal fishing regulations are fair to Maine’s fishing communities. He works to protect the interests of Maine’s fishing families, who are the stewards of our fisheries.

Legislation

H.R. 3223, the Keep Our Waterfronts Working Act of 2007

Maine’s economy relies on working waterfronts which provide more than $750 million in state revenue each year and support 35,000 jobs. Working waterfronts are disappearing from the coast of Maine, and many local economies depend on these waterfronts for income and jobs. H.R. 3223 would protect and preserve existing working waterfronts. The Keep Our Waterfronts Working Act of 2007 would create a grants program to preserve access to coastal waters for commercial fishing operations and other water-dependent coastal-related businesses.

H.R. 2342, the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing System Act of 2007

Congressman Allen introduced H.R. 2342, the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing System Act of 2007. This act would create a national integrated ocean observing, monitoring, and forecasting system modeled after Maine’s own Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS). A national system will enhance and support Maine’s system, saving lives and money in Maine’s fishing industry and coastal communities. The system will also help scientists predict and understand weather patterns in coastal areas, natural hazards such as hurricanes and winter storms, and the consequences of climate change for our oceans. The Ocean Observing system has broad bipartisan support and has been identified as a central ocean priority by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (2003), the Pew Oceans Commission (2004), the Joint Oceans Commission Initiative (2006), and the Bush Administration in its “Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy." H.R. 2342 passed the House in July as part of a package of energy and climate change legislation. It is currently under consideration by the Senate.

Reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act

In 2006, Congress reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Act which governed the nation’s fisheries since 1976. Rep. Allen was the author of and successfully led the effort in the House to incorporate key provisions to end over-fishing, rebuild depleted stocks, and protect the economic interests of small boat fishermen. Inclusion of Rep. Allen’s amendments in the enacted law assures that small operations, especially family-owned boats and fleets, will continue to have access to their fair share of the resource and won’t be swept aside by the massive industrial fishing juggernauts. It also ensures that decisions about fisheries management policy will take local concerns into account and assure that local voices are heard in the management decision making process. The passage of this bi-partisan legislation shows that Maine values are national values.

Learn more about Rep. Allen’s role in reauthorizing Magnuson-Stevens

H.R. 2625, a bill to prohibit the commercial harvesting of Atlantic striped bass

Rep. Allen introduced H.R. 2625 with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) to prohibit the commercial harvesting of Atlantic striped bass in the coastal waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Many Eastern Seaboard states, including Maine, have already banned commercial fishing for the popular game fish, recognizing its far greater economic value as a highly sought-after prize for recreational anglers. Banning commercial fishing throughout the striped bass’s range would allow populations of the fish, which nearly disappeared in the 1980s, to continue to rebuild and support the robust recreational fishery. Rep. Allen applauded President Bush’s Executive Order designating striped bass as a game fish rather than a commercial fish in federally regulated waters. The Order directs the National Marine Fisheries Service to regulate Striped Bass as a game fish in the EEZ, and encourages States to follow suit in state-regulated waters within three miles of shore.

H.R. 21, the Ocean Conservation, Education and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act (OCEANS-21)

Rep. Allen worked with the bipartisan House Oceans Caucus co-chairs to write and introduce H.R. 21, the Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act (OCEANS-21). This bill provides a framework for a national ocean policy including governance, research, and education, and will provide the tools to help build better communication and coordination between the diverse interest groups that use the Gulf of Maine.

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