HR 2304

To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 to provide the necessary scientific information to properly implement annual catch limits, and for other purposes.

June 22, 2011

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. ROSS of Arkansas, Mr. LATTA, Mr. SHULER, Mr. LANDRY, Mr. SOUTHERLAND, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. BOREN, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. GUINTA, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. BONNER, Mr. RIGELL, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, and Mr. HARRIS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 to provide the necessary scientific information to properly implement annual catch limits, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Fishery Science Improvement Act of 2011'.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC DATA FOR ANNUAL CATCH LIMITS.

(a) Scientific Data Required for Annual Catch Limits-

(1) IN GENERAL- Section 104(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1853 note) is amended--

(A) in paragraph (1)(B)--

(i) by striking `2011' and inserting `2014'; and

(ii) by striking `and' after the semicolon;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking `and' after the semicolon;

(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (5); and

(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

`(3) shall not apply to a fishery for any stock of fish for which--

`(A) a peer reviewed stock survey and stock assessment have not been performed during the five-year period that ends on the date of enactment of the Fishery Science Improvement Act of 2011; and

`(B) the Secretary determines that overfishing is not occurring;

`(4) shall not apply to a fishery for any stock of fish that is an ecosystem stock; and'.

(2) DEFINITION OF ECOSYSTEM STOCK- Section 104 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1853 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(e) Definition of Ecosystem Stock- In this section, the term `ecosystem stock' means a stock of fish that the Secretary determines--

`(1) is a nontarget stock; and

`(2) is not overfished or likely to become overfished.'.

(b) Stock Assessment for Overfished Fisheries- Section 304(e)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1854) is amended--

(1) by striking `(2) If the Secretary' and inserting `(2)(A) If the Secretary'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

`(B) Not later than 270 days after the Secretary makes a determination described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall perform a stock survey and stock assessment of each of the stocks that are overfished in the fishery and transmit the assessment to the appropriate Council.'.

END