BILL NUMBER: S9463
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
establishing the authority of the department of environmental conserva-
tion to manage Atlantic bonito and false albacore
 
PURPOSE:
To establish the DEC's authority to manage Atlantic bonito and false
albacore.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the environmental conservation law by adding a new
section.
Section two provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Atlantic bonito and false albacore are currently unregulated, allowing
those who fish to keep as many as they want, at any size. No marine life
species has been able to withstand fishing pressure to this extent. To
address this issue, several states along the East Coast have recently
issued (MA), or are in the process of considering (NC, RI, CT), regu-
lations on these species to prevent population declines and foster heal-
thy, sustainable fisheries. These proactive regulatory measures make
sense from an environmental perspective and are also being championed by
segments of the recreational fishing community and the American Saltwa-
ter Guides Association that are concerned about what will happen to
fishing opportunities and the marine ecosystem if these species become
depleted.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.