Just passing this along, the latest legislation we are pushing for.

HR 4003 IH
107th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 4003

To protect diverse and structurally complex areas of the seabed in the United States exclusive economic zone by establishing a maximum diameter
size limit on rockhopper, roller, and all other groundgear used on bottom trawls.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 19, 2002

Mr. HEFLEY (for himself, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. CASTLE,
Mr. ANDREWS, and Mr. PASCRELL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To protect diverse and structurally complex areas of the seabed in the United States exclusive economic zone by establishing a maximum diameter
size limit on rockhopper, roller, and all other groundgear used on bottom trawls.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Ocean Habitat Protection Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) The fishes and other marine species that are associated with 3-dimensional structurally complex seafloor habitats within the exclusive
economic zone of the United States--

(A) constitute valuable and renewable natural resources;

(B) are an essential component of marine biodiversity;

(C) contribute to the food supply, economy, and health of the United States;

(D) support the economies of coastal communities; and

(E) provide recreational opportunities.

(2) Commercial and recreational fishing constitute major sources of employment and contribute significantly to the economy of the United
States.

(3) The United States is dependent upon healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems for income, nutrition, medicines, raw materials, and
valuable natural processes.

(4) Diverse types of sponges, deep-sea corals, and other species are found in marine habitats, many of which have not been adequately
studied for their potential benefit to society or their ecological importance to fish species and other forms of marine life.

(5) Habitat complexity and marine biodiversity created by geologic structures and structure-forming organisms on the seabed are essential
to numerous fish species, including commercially and recreationally harvested species, that rely on them for food and shelter from
predation.

(6) Bottom trawling reduces habitat complexity and biological diversity by smoothing geologic bedforms and by removing, crushing,
burying, and exposing benthic organisms to predators and scavengers.

(7) The reduction of biodiversity caused by bottom trawling is detrimental to many commercially and recreationally important species and
to the industries and people that depend on them.

(8) In the past, the practice of bottom trawling was conducted mainly on soft bottom areas, and was rarely used in three-dimensional,
structurally complex habitats.

(9) Technological modifications to bottom trawls, including the creation of large rockhopper and roller gear and chafing gear, facilitate the
use of bottom trawls in rocky and other complex marine habitats that were once refuges for fishes and other marine life.

(10) The expansion in the use of bottom trawls from soft bottom areas to three-dimensional, structurally complex habitats over the past 20
years has had and continues to have significant, adverse effects on the diversity and habitat complexity of these areas.

(11) Numerous scientific studies show that bottom trawling is especially damaging to three-dimensional, structurally complex habitats such
as corals, boulder fields, sponge beds, and gravel bottoms.

(12) Bottom trawling in these habitats significantly reduces their value for economically and ecologically important fishes and other marine
life. Reductions in structural complexity may be long-term and irreversible. Recovery of some of these areas to their natural state after a
single pass of a trawl may take decades or centuries. With repeated trawling in the same area, the damage may be irreversible.

(13) Prohibiting the use of large rockhopper, roller, and other groundgear is a practical, precautionary, and enforceable measure to protect
structurally complex, benthic marine habitats from the damaging effects of bottom trawling.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF LARGE ROCKHOPPER AND ROLLER GEAR ON BOTTOM TRAWL
NETS.

(a) PURPOSE- The purpose of this section is to prevent bottom trawls from accessing and damaging three-dimensional, structurally complex
marine habitats that are needed by commercially and recreationally important fishes and other marine life for food and shelter from predation.

(b) PROHIBITION- Section 307 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857) is amended--

(1) by striking `or' after the semicolon at the end of paragraph (1);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (1)(P) and inserting `; or'; and

(3) by inserting after paragraph (1)(P) the following:

`(Q) to use a bottom trawl with rollers, bobbins, tires, rockhoppers, or any other devices attached to the foot rope of the trawl net
that are in excess of 8 inches in diameter for fishing that is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, including fishing by a vessel
of the United States beyond the equivalent of the exclusive economic zone of all countries.'.

(c) REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION- Section 310(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1857)
is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(4) For purposes of this Act, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that any vessel that is shoreward of the outer boundary of the exclusive
economic zone or beyond the equivalent zone of all countries, and that has on board gear comprised of a trawl net with rollers, bobbins, tires,
rockhoppers, or any other devices attached to the foot rope of the trawl net that are in excess of 8 inches in diameter, is engaged in fishing using
such gear.'.

Mike,

Thanks for keeping us posted. I am not knowledgeable on the type of gear, but is limiting rockhopper size to 8" going to prevent bottom dragging over the marine habitat? Does this bill actually prohibit trawlers dragging gear over sensitive habitat, or just make it less profitable?

It will definately slow them down.In my years up there dragging I don't think we ever ran anything that small on a bottom net.We used to go down to around 8 inches on the midwater nets during the summer pollack season but that was because we were not alowed to fish the bottom nets,we just counted on sewing up the net every haul back.The palagic nets are bigger and more fragile.They risk getting caught up on the bottom in the rougher bottoms.That is far from cost effective with the new quotas and rereglations.If they get caught up they risk just a torn net too loosing the net and suitcase{expensive sonar unit}and the cable that goes with it.

It is amazing what an old school norwegian bosan can do with a net though.They will still fish in those zones just hopefully do less damage.I quit because of the outright destruction those boats do.A hard trawl on the bottom is the equivilent of scooping the first foot of life off the botton for 50 foot swath.The crabbers were first to notice the effects up in alska.The sportsmen got to see the effects down in the sound with the disapearing cod stocks after some big brained mammal allowed them to fish the sound.The smaller "catcher boats" actually do more damage because they tend to drab slower.drives the net down harder.
The asians eat fish like we do beef and depend on those boats to feed there peoples.I used to make a living just supplying mcdonalds with fish witches.Because of this you will never see what is right done with those boats but I am happy every time I hear of new tougher regulations on the trawl industry.

Ratherbfishin,

I think ltlCLEO explained it better than I ever could. I would have to answer that it does not specifically prohibit them draging over the habitat but it would put so much risk in attempting to that most would not.

And even though some of those "old school norwegian bosan" probably have the capability to do some of it, I would be surprised if many were left that still had the skills to pull it off after 20 years of rollers.

This is strong legislation and will be hard fought by the commercial industry. But it is supported by a big coalition of sportfishing and environmental groups and we believe working together we can get this done.

Mike,

I just created another thread about EcoFish, a group that is "certifying" commercially caught fish as "friendly" or not.

Has the RFA had any contact with them, or any information? I posted some supporters and detractors of them, as well.

If you have any additional info, would you please post it on the other thread? Thanks.

BTW, I was wearing my RFA T-shirt a couple of nights ago and an ex-commercial fisherman asked me what it was about. I told him a little, directed him to your website, and he said he thought it was pretty cool after all the habitat destruction he saw in his years as an East Coast Trawler.

Fish on...

Todd.

Todd,

I will ask about ecofish and see what they know.

Excellent description ltlCleo - That type of trawling nearly wiped out the Atlantic Cod fishery off the coasts of Maine up to Newfoundland. They completely took away the environment that the cod thrived in, and it has taken decades to put a stop to that kind of fishery.

mike,
The trawlers were banned from using there BSC'S or bottom nets during the summer pollack season.These nets are the work horse and bottom net of the pollack fishery.Durring the summer season the trawlers spend alot more time dragging the nets around speculating or hunting for fish.Durring the winter season they are fishing pollack that are migrating to there spawning grounds so it is pretty easy to find them.The gov was trying to cut down on unnecessary bottom destruction and bycatch I believe.It might of had to do with one of the variety of crabs,I can't remember exactly anymore.It did not stop the trawlers they just beefed up the foot chain and added small rolllers or rock hoppers the size precsribed and ran them down anyways.I have seen a captain run these nets down in and out of 6' crags and such.You got to remember they have a million dollars worth of electronics on board that tell the exact composition,density of the bottom and net location, depth,speed etc.With the modern controllers for the doors{big metal side planers that can way a thousand plus} they can controll exactly where that net is.Add that to the knowledge of the cuurents involved and you can use the current to help get you unstuck if you do hang up.It will not stop them but will slow them down.It will add a little weight to balance on the scale.

As far as a knowledgeble wegie goes look at who owns the seattle trawl industry lock stock and barrel before you speculate.Oh yeah American seafoods is not American.

Anyone interested in this topic should read the book "Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World" by Mark Kurlansky.

It's basically a history of cod in the North Atlantic, from pre-Columbus time up to modern day, including the complete collapse of the stocks off Newfoundland in the early 1990's, due to deep water trawling.

-N.