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FISHES Act Introduced to Cut Red Tape In Delivery of Disaster Funds

8May

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FISHES Act Introduced to Cut Red Tape In Delivery of Disaster Funds

Legislation backed by 16 members of Congress aims to expedite delivery of disaster relief following fisheries disaster declarations by cutting red tape currently complicating the approval process by federal agencies. The Fishery Improvement to Streamline Untimely Regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation (FISHES) Act was introduced May 2 by Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, and Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, both R-Florida. Representatives Mary Peltola, D-Alaska and Byron Donalds, R-Florida, introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives last year. Co-sponsors among the 12 representatives in the House include James Moylan, R-Guam, and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, R-America Samoa. The legislation seeks to improve the federal regu...

Legislation on Working Waterfronts Introduced; Aims to Boost Coastal Economies

Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Feb. 12 aims to boost coastal workforces, fisheries, food security and shoreside infrastructure of coastal fisheries communities nationwide. The Working Waterfronts Act, submitted by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, would also support efforts to mitigate impacts of climate change on coastal communities and strengthen federal conservation research projects. Given Alaska’s 66,000 miles of coastline and the thousands of people reliant on Alaska’s rivers and oceans for fishery operations, tourism, mariculture and more, Murkowski said there is a need to capitalize on opportunities existing through the blue economy with the infrastructure and workforce needed to meet those goals. The legislation would also boost research and climate change ...

Murkowski Pushes Anew for U.S. Senate to Ratify UNCLOS

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is renewing her effort to win U.S. Senate passage of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has long since been ratified by 168 nations and the European Union. On Nov. 16, Murkowski, co-chair of the Arctic Caucus, introduced a resolution calling on the Senate to ratify UNCLOS. The document details the rights and responsibilities of countries regarding the oceans, including guidelines for businesses and the management of marine natural resources. It also provides a legal framework to protect those rights while avoiding conflict. The resolution was previously introduced by Murkowski and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, during the 116th and 117th Congresses. “The longer we sit out, the longer the rest of the world will continue ...