Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) has filed an anti-catch shares amendment to H.R. 1 - the Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution which will fund the federal government through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 (i.e. September 30, 2011).
Amendment #548 was printed in the Congressional Record today. The amendment would prohibit NOAA from spending any money on the development and approval of new catch share programs in fisheries under the jurisdiction of the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management. It does NOT affect anything on the West Coast or Alaska.
This amendment could come up for floor consideration, and potentially a vote, this evening or tomorrow.
Mr. Jones asks industry members who support his amendment to contact their Member of Congress in the House of Representatives and urge them to support the Jones Amendment #548 to block funding for catch shares.
If you would like to support Mr. Jones, but do not know who represents you in Congress, this link from the House of Representatives will assist you:
http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html
