Forage Fish Conservation Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
Introduced
Summary
Shift fisheries policy to protect forage fish as a foundation of marine food webs. This bill would add a legal definition for "forage fish", raise science and management duties for those species, and push new monitoring and catch rules to account for their role feeding larger predators.
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- Regional councils and scientific committees would have to define "forage fish" within 12 months and provide ongoing advice on acceptable biological catch, rebuilding, and forage abundance. New directed forage-fish fisheries would be barred until councils consider the best science and prepare management plans, a change effective 2 years after enactment.
- Commercial fleets in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries would see river herring and shad added as managed stocks within 180 days. The bill would require at least 50 percent of relevant mid-water trawl trips to carry an at-sea observer or an electronic/video monitoring equivalent.
- Fishery managers would have to set forage-fish annual catch limits based on the dietary needs of predators like marine mammals and seabirds, a requirement that takes effect 5 years after enactment. The bill also calls for more reporting on bycatch, habitat status, and fishing sustainability.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
More monitoring for herring and mackerel trawls
Vessels using mid-water trawl in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries would need an observer or video on at least 50% of trips. This would start within 180 days of enactment, even if other rules say otherwise. NOAA would reassign existing monitoring resources to meet this. This could add costs or change how trips are run for affected boats.
Shad and river herring added to plans
Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary would add shad and river herring as managed stocks in two Atlantic fishery plans. River herring means blueback herring and alewife; shad means American shad and hickory shad. Within one year after the addition, further plan changes would set conservation and management measures. This could bring new limits that help recovery but affect some fishing operations.
Stronger rules for forage fish management
The bill would have the Commerce Secretary define "forage fish" within 12 months and issue guidelines within 18 months. Two years after enactment, councils would need to list unmanaged forage fish and pause any new directed fisheries until full reviews, plans, and final rules are done. Five years after enactment, councils would set forage fish catch limits based on the diet needs of predators like fish, birds, and marine mammals. Scientific committees would start giving added advice on forage fish right after enactment, and councils would add these fish to research priorities two years after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21]
FL • R
Sponsored 6/4/2025
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]
IL • D
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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