http://www.youtube.com/user/IleanaRosLehtinen#p/u/0/Km9i1dc5cLs
 
 
Remarks by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
IN SUPPORT OF GREATER REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY
FOR FLORIDA FISHERMEN
   Mr. Speaker, this week I met with commercial and recreational fishermen from my Congressional district of the Florida Keys. These hardworking men and women have taken time out of their busy season to travel up here to Washington, D.C., to protest the latest round of onerous and unfair Federal fishing regulations and closures.
   Florida’s recreational fishing industry is the largest in the Nation. It’s economic impact to our State exceeds $5.3 billion, and more than 54,000 jobs are generated by this industry. Similarly, Florida’s commercial fishing industry is nearly 13,000 strong and contributes a staggering $1.2 billion to our economy.
   Our fishermen understand that maintaining a robust, healthy fishery through appropriate regulation is the key to their economic success. However, the recent fishing bans on red snapper and shallow water grouper enacted by the South Atlantic Fisheries Council are devastating to our Florida fishing industry. The bans not only threaten the jobs of recreational and commercial fishermen, but also the small business owners that support and economically benefit from these industries.
   Local restaurants will look to carry more cost-affordable fish from countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, as opposed to featuring fresh, Florida-caught fish, crab, and lobster. Hotels, dive shops, and other tourist attractions will also continue to suffer as fishing enthusiasts decide to travel elsewhere.
   The impact of this multibillion dollar industry on the State of Florida cannot be overstated. And yet, one by one, these fishermen are being regulated out of business.
   I’m a cosponsor of a bill known as the Transparency in Job Loss from Fishery Closures Act, and this is a bill introduced by my colleague, Congressman Henry Brown. This bipartisan bill instructs NOAA to reverse the harmful fishing closures and calls for stricter policies before implementing further closings.
   In particular, this bill requires that NOAA conduct a comprehensive review of recent fishery closures and provides sufficient updated research showing that a closure is the only option to maintain the fishery. In this review, NOAA must consider the impact of each closure on the coastal communities being regulated, including the impact on their small businesses and the losses of the jobs that would entail these closures.
   I also support efforts to increase fisheries research to improve enforcement systems and to reform the flawed Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act.
   I’m a cosponsor of a bill introduced by Congressman Frank Pallone, which would amend Magnuson to provide greater flexibility to State regulators and fishery managers.
   The process of collecting data utilized by Federal regulators in determining fishing closures also needs to be revisited.
   The Scientific and Statistics Committees need to conduct their business in an open, transparent forum that also considers input from the fishing industry. What a concept. Opening up this committee to stakeholders’ feedback and congressional oversight will go a long way in repairing the trust between regulators and local fishermen.
   In this stagnant economy, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we do all that we can to protect a historic and much needed industry from economic disaster. Our Nation’s fishermen deserve and require our immediate action.