,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #caf #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ijf ,report ,no4 #aaf-aff ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bg1 #bjai,mrs4 ,feinstein 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 and ,ms4 ,harris7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,december #e1 #bjai,reported by ,mr4 ,wicker1 with an amendment,insert the part printed in italic ,a ,,bill ,to improve the management of driftnet fishing4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,driftnet ,modernization and ,bycatch ,reduction ,act4 #b4 ,definition ,section #c7be7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjb7be77 is amended by inserting 1 or with a mesh size of #ad inches or greater1 after more4 #c4 ,findings and policy 7a7 ,findings ,section #bjf7;b7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahbf7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#f71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#g71 by striking the period and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#h7 within the exclusive economic zone1 large-scale driftnet fishing that deploys nets with large mesh sizes causes significant entanglement and mortality of living marine resources1 including myriad protected species1 despite limitations on the lengths of such nets4 4 7b7 ,policy ,section #bjf7;c7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahbf7;c77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking the period and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following-- 7#d7 prioritize the phase out of large-scale driftnet fishing in the exclusive economic zone and promote the development and adoption of alternative fishing methods and gear types that minimize the incidental catch of living marine resources4 4 #d4 ,transition program ,section #bjf of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahbf7 is amended by adding at the end the following-- 7i7 ,fishing gear transition program 7#a7 ,in general ,during the #e-year period beginning on the date of enactment of the ,driftnet ,modernization and ,bycatch ,reduction ,act1 the ,secretary shall conduct a transition program to facilitate the phase-out of large-scale driftnet fishing and adoption of alternative fishing practices that minimize the incidental catch of living marine resources1 and shall award grants to eligible permit holders who participate in the program4 7#b7 ,permissible uses ,any permit holder receiving a grant under paragraph 7#a7 may use such funds only for the purpose of covering-- 7,a7 any fee originally associated with a permit authorizing participation in a large-scale driftnet fishery1 if such permit is surrendered for permanent revocation1 and such permit holder relinquishes any claim associated with the permit2 7,b7 a forfeiture of fishing gear associated with a permit described in subparagraph 7,a72 or 7,c7 the purchase of alternative gear with minimal incidental catch of living marine resources1 if the fishery participant is authorized to continue fishing using such alternative gears4 7#c7 ,certification ,the ,secretary shall certify that1 with respect to each participant in the program under this subsection1 any permit authorizing participation in a large-scale driftnet fishery has been permanently revoked and that no new permits will be issued to authorize such fishing4 4 #e4 ,exception ,section #cjg7a77,m7 of the ,magnuson-,stevens ,fishery ,conservation and ,management ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aheg7a77,m77 is amended by inserting before the semicolon the following3 81 unless such large-scale driftnet fishing-- 7i7 deploys1 within the exclusive economic zone1 a net with a total length of less than two and one-half kilometers and a mesh size of #ad inches or greater2 and 7ii7 is conducted within #e years of the date of enactment of the ,driftnet ,modernization and ,bycatch ,reduction ,act 4 #f4 ,fees 7a7 ,in general ,the ,north ,pacific ,fishery ,management ,council may recommend1 and the ,secretary of ,commerce may approve1 regulations necessary for the collection of fees from charter vessel operators who guide recreational anglers who harvest ,pacific halibut in ,international ,pacific ,halibut ,commission regulatory areas #b;,c and #c;,a as those terms are defined in part #cjj of title #ej1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulations74 7b7 ,use of fees ,any fees collected under this section shall be available1 without appropriation or fiscal year limitation1 for the purposes of-- 7#a7 financing administrative costs of the ,recreational ,quota ,entity program2 7#b7 the purchase of halibut quota shares in ,international ,pacific ,halibut ,commission regulatory areas #b;,c and #c;,a by the recreational quota entity authorized in part #fgi of title #ej1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulations72 7#c7 halibut conservation and research2 and 7#d7 promotion of the halibut resource by the recreational quota entity authorized in part #fgi of title #ej1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulations74 ,december #e1 #bjai,reported with an amendment