Page 29: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1995)

Washington D.C. Report

Aquaculture Relief Measure, NOAA Budget Considerations, Maritime Reform Bill Busies Senate

On August 11, Senator John

Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced a bill designed to promote alternatives for the overburdened domestic fish- ing industry, and to encourage the development of an environmentally sound marine aquaculture indus- try in the U.S. The measure, called the Marine Aquaculture Act of1995, encourages investment in the area of marine aquaculture (the farming of fish and shellfish in ocean and coastal waters) in order to stimu- late local economies, bring new jobs, and help restore wild fish stocks.

According to Sen. Kerry, "....the fishing industry is in decline, suf- fering from depleted stocks and overfishing... Clearly we need to find long-term solutions that will pro- vide long-term results — new jobs, new resources, a new means of sustaining the global fishing industry...A strong marine aquac- ulture industry would provide high quality fish and seafood products for American consumption and ex- port, and help reduce our multi- billion dollar fisheries trade defi- cit."

The bill would require the De- partment of Commerce to act as the single agency responsible for regulating the distribution of per- mits for owning, constructing, and operating offshore marine aquacul- ture facilities in federal waters; for creating a coastal and marine aquac- ulture R&D program through the

Sea Grant Program; and for provid- ing open financial assistance pro- grams, formerly reserved for fish- ermen, to marine aquaculture de- velopment. The measure would also require the Secretary of Com- merce to establish environmental standards for offshore marine aquaculture facilities.

Battling Budget Constraints

The proposed budget for the Na- tional Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) — man- dating the termination of HF radiofacsimile weatherchart broad- casts, and consequently affecting the safety of mariners who rely on such broadcasts for oceanographic data — is currently under exami- nation in Congress.

The National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Act of 1995, S. 1142, the piece of legislation responsible for setting the NOAA budget through 1998, was introduced in the Senate

Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in August of 1994. If passed, S. 1142 will autho- rize appropriations in the amounts of $1.84 billion for FY 1996, $2.02 billion for FY 1997, and $2.03 billion for FY 1998.

The NOAA's operations include atmospheric and satellite pro- grams, ocean and coastal programs, and marine fisheries programs.

Budget debate has been intensified by the terms of the proposed bud- get that call for eliminating several

National Weather Service (NWS)

HF radiofax transmitters — spe- cifically, transmitters located in

Marshfield, Mass.; Pt. Reyes, Ca- lif.; Kodiak, Alaska; Honolulu, Ha- waii; and Rogers City, Mich — that supply commercial fishermen with weather charts, as well as other oceanographic data on which they base their catch. The elimination of this information source poses a threat to members of the U.S. com- mercial fishing industry, many of whom have come to rely on this data for determining fishing strat- (Continued on page 40)

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Circle 376 on Reader Service Card

September, 1995 31