BILL NUMBER: S10061
SPONSOR: FAHY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
extending the authority of the department of environmental conservation
to manage sharks
 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to extend the authority of the Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) to manage sharks.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill amends Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) §
13-0338(4) to extend, until December 31, 2029, DEC's authority to fix by
regulation measures for the management of sharks.
Section 2 of this bill provides that the bill shall take effect imme-
diately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
ECL § 13-0105 establishes that the State's marine fisheries conservation
and management policy shall be consistent with any inter-jurisdictional,
interstate or state-federal management plans. This bill would extend
DEC's regulatory authority concerning the management of sharks for an
additional three years to ensure that DEC continues to be able to main-
tain compliance with both the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
for Atlantic Coastal Sharks and Spiny Dogfish adopted by the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission and consistency with federal rules
and regulations. Failure to make necessary regulatory changes as may be
required by the FMPs could result in the closure of New York's shark
fisheries.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
DEC's authority was last extended by Chapter 318 of the Laws of 2023.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S10061: 13-0338 environmental conservation law, 13-0338(4) environmental conservation law