US Codex
Pub. L.
Notes

Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018

115th Congress · Approved Dec 31, 2018 · 132 Stat. 5355

An Act

To expand recreational fishing opportunities through enhanced marine fishery conservation and management, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. Short Title; Table of Contents; References.

(a)
Short Title.— This Act may be cited as the “Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018”.
(b)
Table of Contents.— The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents; references.

Sec. 2. Findings.

Sec. 3. Definitions.

TITLE I— CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

Sec. 101. Process for allocation review for South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico mixed-use fisheries.

Sec. 102. Fishery management measures.

Sec. 103. Study of limited access privilege programs for mixed-use fisheries.

TITLE II— RECREATION FISHERY INFORMATION, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT

Sec. 201. Cooperative data collection.

Sec. 202. Recreational data collection.

TITLE III— RULE OF CONSTRUCTION

Sec. 301. Rule of construction.

(c)
References to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.— Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

SEC. 2. Findings.

Section 2(a) (16 U.S.C. 1801(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(13) While both provide significant cultural and economic benefits to the Nation, recreational fishing and commercial fishing are different activities. Therefore, science-based conservation and management approaches should be adapted to the characteristics of each sector.”

SEC. 3. Definitions.

In this Act:
(1)
Appropriate committees of congress.— The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—
(A)
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.
(2)
Council.— The term “Council” means any Regional Fishery Management Council established under section 302 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852).
(3)
Limited access privilege program.— The term “limited access privilege program” means a program that meets the requirements of section 303A of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1853a).
(4)
Mixed-use fishery.— The term “mixed-use fishery” means a Federal fishery in which 2 or more of the following occur:
(A)
Recreational fishing.
(B)
Charter fishing.
(C)
Commercial fishing.