Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Fisheries Modernization Act of 2025”.
Fisheries Modernization Act of 2025
A BILL
To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to make certain freshwater fisheries eligible for fishery resource disaster relief.
Sec. 2 Certain freshwater fisheries eligible for fishery resource disaster relief
In general— Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a(a)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)—
in subparagraph (A), by inserting “infrastructure-related cause,” after “discrete anthropogenic cause,”;
by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (G) as subparagraphs (F) through (H), respectively; and
by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
“(E) Infrastructure-related cause—The term infrastructure-related cause means an event—
“(i) caused by the operation or failure of Federal or State infrastructure, including—
“(I) flood control systems;
“(II) spillways;
“(III) levees; and
“(IV) diversions; and
“(ii) that results in measurable disruption to commercial or subsistence fishery activity, aquatic habitat, or water quality.”
in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting “, including with respect to the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and white river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulus) fisheries” after “in accordance with this subsection”;
in paragraph (3)(B)(v)—
in subclause (III), by striking “and” at the end;
in subclause (IV), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(V) with respect to the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and white river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulus) fisheries, information related to hydrological conditions, water quality degradation, extreme flooding or drought, or other environmental disruptions that directly impact viability.”
in paragraph (5)—
in subparagraph (A)—
by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as clauses (iv) and (v), respectively;
by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
“(iii) an infrastructure-related cause;”
in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking “a combination of a natural cause and an anthropogenic cause” and inserting “any combination of clauses (i) through (iii)”; and
in subparagraph (D), by striking “and safety,” and inserting “and safety, and including a disaster affecting the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and white river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulus) fisheries,”.
Rule of construction— Nothing in this section may be construed to limit, reduce, or otherwise affect the eligibility of any marine or anadromous fishery for fishery resource disaster assistance under section 312 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a).