Florida Fisheries Improvement Act

Summary

Florida Fisheries Improvement Act - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to revise requirements for fishery management in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic. Gives regional fishery management councils authority to use alternative fishery management measures in a recreational fishery. Revises requirements for fishery management plans, especially by exempting certain species from fishery rebuilding requirements, changing how to determine the timelines for rebuilding fisheries, and repealing the requirement for plans to contain catch limits for the red snapper. Authorizes: (1) the collection of funds from fines, penalties, and forfeitures of property for violations of marine resource law to be used for the cost of stock assessments, surveys, and data collection on fisheries; and (2) a citizen owning or leasing an eligible fishery facilities to make an agreement with the Department of Commerce to establish a capital construction fund to provide for the acquisition or reconstruction of a facility. Requires the Department to make a decision on whether there is a commercial fishery failure because of a fishery resource disaster within 90 days of a receiving a complete estimate of the economic impact of the disaster. Requires the Gulf Council and the South Atlantic Council to review every five years the allocation of fishing privileges. Authorizes the Councils to delay the review for three one-year periods. Directs the Department to: (1) arrange for the National Academy of Sciences to study the process of allocating fishing privileges; (2) develop and publish a plan to conduct stock assessments for all stocks of fish for which a MSA fishery management plan is in effect, unless the assessment is not necessary; and (3) report on facilitating greater incorporation of data, analysis, stock assessments, and surveys from nongovernmental sources.

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Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 16 September 2014

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• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 16 September 2014

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 16 September 2014

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