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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 35 Number 7
March 2008
Fishermen’s health, MSA flexibility bills introduced in Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – Members of Congress introduced two bills in February that could, if made into law, make a world of difference to commercial fishermen in the Northeast.
The first, HR 5404, the “Commercial Fishing Industry Health Care Coverage Act of 2008,” would provide low-cost coverage to fishermen and their families.
The legislation is patterned after the successful Massachusetts Fishing Partnership Health Plan pioneered by the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership, which uses some subsidy funding to make it possible for fishing families to buy into a high-quality insurance plan by offering premiums on a sliding scale.
Launched 10 years ago, the Fishing Partnership Health Plan today provides coverage for more than 2,000 fishermen and family members and has brought the rate of uninsured fishermen in Massachusetts down from 43% to 13%.
Introduced on Feb. 13 by US Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), HR 5404 would authorize $50 million to establish a grant program to award up to $200,000 annually for up to two years to organizations or states to develop health plan programs.
The bill would then provide funding for initial implementation and administration of the programs. Participating organizations and/or states would have to provide matching funds at a 2:1 ratio of federal to nonfederal funds.
“The Massachusetts Fishing Partnership has led the way in showing how to provide reliable coverage to the fishing community, and I believe it is time to take the next step by establishing a national program,” said Frank.
Initial co-sponsors for HR 5404 included US Reps: Patrick Kennedy (D-RI); Don Young (R-AK); John Tierney (D-MA); Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD); Bill Delahunt (D-MA); and Tom Allen (D-ME).
The bill also was endorsed by US Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, both Massachusetts Democrats.
MSA flexibility
Also on Feb. 13, a bipartisan coalition of US congressmen introduced HR 5425, the “Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2008.” The bill is almost identical to similar legislation introduced by US Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) last year.
It would, in certain cases, authorize an extension of the stock rebuilding timeframe beyond the 10-year period mandated by the MSA, using a formula based on the biology of the affected fish species and without compromising overall rebuilding goals.
Exemptions would be allowed: when a substantial change is made to a rebuilding target; for one or more fish stocks in a multispecies fishery if the stocks are on a positive rebuilding trend; to provide for sustained participation of fishing communities or to minimize economic impacts if the stocks remain on a positive rebuilding trend; when the cause of the decline is outside the jurisdiction of regional fishery management councils; and when the rebuilding target exceeds the highest abundance of the stock in the previous 25 years and there is evidence of a positive rebuilding trend.
“When deciding how best to rebuild fish stocks in complex environments, we must use sound biology and science, not arbitrary deadlines set by Congress,” said the bill’s sponsor, US Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ). “The legislation I’m introducing in Congress is about rational rebuilding, and it is the best way to rebuild our fisheries without bankrupting tackle shops, party boats, and commercial fishermen.”
Walter Jones has signed on as a co-sponsor, along with US Reps. Frank, Kennedy, Henry Brown Jr. (R-SC), Frank Lobiondo (R-NJ), and Robert Andrews (D-NJ). /cfn/
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