COLLINS FIGHTS TO HELP MAINE FISHERIES

Washington, DC -- Senator Susan Collins is working with congressional negotiators to include a provision in the omnibus spending bill that would prevent the enactment of Amendment 13, which would devastate Maine's fishing industry. Senator Collins' provision would delay the implementation of Amendment 13 until the end of the current fiscal year to provide more time for a full economic analysis and for the New England Fisheries Management Council to correct the inequities of the plan that are so unfair to Maine fishermen.

If approved, Senator Collins' proposal would allow for the current and already stringent federal fishing management regulations to continue.

"Amendment 13, in its current form, would target the heart and soul of a 400-year-old industry that is vital to Maine's economy. Amendment 13 would allocate zero days at sea to 57 Maine groundfishermen, essentially forcing them out of business. It would also limit to 50 days per year the time that dozens of other fishermen would be permitted to try to earn a living," said Senator Collins.

She pointed out that current fishing regulations, which were implemented to help increase the stocks of certain species of fish, have succeeded in increasing groundfish stocks by 300 percent since 1996.

She also explained that a vast number of industries that support fishing, such as ice producers and small boat repair shops, would also be devastated if Amendment 13 were implemented.

Specifically, Senator Collins' provision would push back to October 2004, the court-ordered deadline by which Amendment 13 fishing regulations are scheduled to begin. This would give the fishing industry time to study and develop alternatives that are fair to the entire industry while protecting the important stocks in New England fishing grounds.

After Amendment 13 was approved, Senator Collins called on the National Marine Fisheries Service to conduct a thorough economic impact analysis of the regulation on Maine's fisheries.

Prior to the New England Fisheries Management Council's approval of Amendment 13, the Portland City Council in September approved a resolution condemning the regulations, also arguing that they would be harmful to the fishing industry in Maine. It called on Congress to protect the fishing industry in Maine.

"If the current form of Amendment 13 were implemented, Maine's working waterfront would likely vanish. This is too important an industry to Maine to allow it to disappear because of unfair regulations. It is imperative that more time is provided for the New England Fisheries Council to come up with a proposal that will not devastate Maine's fishing industry. "