Committee Passes Amata-Cosponsored Fisheries Advisory Bill
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata voted in the Natural Resources Committee for the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act of 2021, H.R. 3128, which was passed and will be sent to the full House of Representatives. Congresswoman Amata was the sole original cosponsor upon the bill’s introduction in June by Dean of the House Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska).
The legislation would add options for research and development grants related to fisheries, and would produce more balanced representation for the region on the American Fisheries Advisory Committee, leading to better input from the Pacific region.
File photo of Congresswoman Amata and Dean of the House Young.
“Fishing is part of our way of life, and the backbone of our local economy,” Congresswoman Amata said. “The Pacific Ocean is inseparable from our daily lives in every village of American Samoa. The American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act plays a part in the efforts to ensure the health of this ocean that we love, and preserve and protect fishing for generations to come.”
During Wednesday’s markup, the Committee voted on a series of bills, in a week that has included a focus on fishing-related legislation in the Committee.
Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization
The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act governs marine fisheries in U.S. waters. Over the years, the Act has been amended and extended, but it requires proper reauthorization, and Congresswoman Amata supports Congressman Young’s effort to fully reauthorize and update the longstanding law.
On Tuesday, Amata took part in a legislative hearing of the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife (WOW) that examined several bills, including Congressman Young’s reauthorization legislation.
“The Magnuson-Stevens Act is overdue for a full reauthorization, and I appreciate Congressman Young’s balanced and responsible focus on this important effort,” Amata concluded.
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