Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Rep. Shea-Porter (NH-1) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-01) Tuesday introduced the Coastal Jobs Creation Act of 2010.  The legislation will implement a Coastal Jobs Creation Grant Program with the purpose of creating jobs in coastal communities.  Currently, the National Marine Fisheries Service regulates, and closes fisheries based on “best available science” that is often insufficient to properly assess the actual status of a fishery. 

     By directing funding to research for better fisheries stock assessments, training and deploying observers and identifying habitats of concern, this bill will allow regulators to properly manage fisheries and keep fishermen on the water.

     “This bill is about rebuilding,” said Pallone. “As a result of the Magnuson Act, fisheries are being closed and local fishing economies and coastal communities are paying for it. The Coastal Jobs Creation Act will help to ensure that our fishermen continue to hold the jobs that have served our communities so well.” 

     Federal money in the bill will fund data collection on economic and social factors related to commercial and recreational fisheries industries which will give regulators the necessary tools to understand the consequences of closing a fishery. 

     “Closing one fishery can have a devastating impact on a community,” said Pallone. “It’s my fear that those who are charged with the decision of shutting down a fishery don’t always have the best information to base that decision off of, and this bill helps to fix that.”

     This bill will also make federal funds available for the creation of a New Jersey registry of fishermen so that fishermen aren’t forced to burden the cost of implementation.

     The recreational and commercial fishing industries will benefit from the research and infrastructure projects funded by this bill. Funding will only be provided to projects that create the greatest employment opportunities for coastal communities and which benefit the commercial and recreation fishing industries.  In total the bill authorizes $80 million a year for fiscal years 2001 through 2015.

     “Congressman Pallone has been a long-time advocate for the fishing industry to the benefit of fishermen in New Jersey and nation wide,” said Jim Donofrio of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.  “This bill has broad support in the fishing community and we look forward to the jobs that it will create up and down the Atlantic coast.”
 
     In New Jersey, saltwater fishing generated more than $643 million in sales and supported more than 9,900 jobs in 2006, according to an economic report released by NOAAs Fisheries Service.