Coastal Senators unite on fishing boat discharge permits

Fishermen won’t need special permits to hose off their decks thanks to a bill moving through the U.S. Senate. That’s garnered a big sigh of relief from harvesters across the nation and kudos to a rare show of bipartisanship by coastal lawmakers, notably Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Marco Rubio of Florida.“The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act extends a moratorium that was already granted to the commercial fishing industry from 2008, and it’s been up every couple of years. It would extend this moratorium indefinitely so commercial fishing vessels don’t have to apply for a ridiculous discharge permit every time rain falls onto your deck and flows overboard. That’s incidental discharge to the normal operation of a vessel. So it just cuts the red tape that fishermen would have to incur,” explained Brett Veerhusen, executive director of Seafood Harvesters of America, who has been watchdogging the discharge bill.The incidental discharge requirement is part of the Clean Boating Act passed by Congress in 2008. It provided a permanent exemption for roughly 13 million recreational vessels, even 400-foot yachts, but not for commercial fishing boats or other vessels in the maritime industries. The measure affects nearly 10,000 fishing vessels in Alaska alone, and harvesters believe the permanent exclusion should also apply to them.Veerhusen said it is imperative that the discharge dodge is passed before the temporary exemption expires Dec. 18.“After that, commercial fishing vessels will be subject to permit requirements to test the water that runs off their deck from deck wash or even rainwater,” he said. “That is completely onerous and ridiculous and burdensome.”The measure still has to get final approval from Congress, but Veerhusen is confident it will make it through.“We really appreciate the support that Sens. Begich and Rubio have been able to garner for this. It’s quite remarkable, and it just shows that whether you’re in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Maine or the Gulf of Alaska, fishermen nationwide feel very strongly about this,” he added.Seafood Harvesters of America formed in June and so far includes 14 regional fishing groups. Veerhusen, who hails from a Homer fishing family, said the new group has been well received in D.C.“It is welcome news to folks on the Hill to have a succinct national voice regarding these issues. Traditionally, fishermen have gone about trying to effect federal law from a regional standpoint, and we are able to synthesize all of these voices into some common goals and concerns.”Read Laine Welch's full story on Alaska Dispatch News