§1863 Northwest Atlantic Ocean Fisheries Reinvestment Program

Summary

Establish a Northwest Atlantic Ocean Fisheries Reinvestment Program by October 1, 1993. The program must help build markets and commercial fishing for underused northwest Atlantic species, give New England groundfish fishermen other fishing options, provide technical help to improve processing and make those fisheries profitable, find new uses for fish waste, and help restore overfished New England groundfish through aquaculture or hatcheries. The Secretary must consult with fishing industry people, seafood processors, and academics (including the National Sea Grant Program). Subject to available money, the Secretary may give contracts and grants to U.S. citizens under the terms of section 713c–3(c) of title 15 and must give top priority to an owner or operator of a New England groundfish-permitted vessel who agrees to surrender that permit for the life of the award. Congress authorized $5,000,000 for each fiscal year 1993 through 1999, with no more than $1,000,000 in 1993 and $2,000,000 in 1994 coming from amounts under section 713c–3(b) of title 15. The Secretary must seek help from other federal agencies, including the Secretary of Agriculture, to include underused species as agricultural commodities in Foreign Agricultural Service programs under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–624; 104 Stat. 3359). The New England Fishery Management Council must quickly make management plans for any underused northwest Atlantic species that lack one to prevent overfishing. “Underutilized species of the northwest Atlantic Ocean” means fish identified as underused by the Director of the Northeast Fisheries Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service.