Relates to the management of American eel

2 Co-sponsors

• Owen H. Johnson
• Mark Grisanti

BILL NUMBER:S4969

Title of bill

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the management of American eel

Purpose

To extend the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) authority to manage American eel.

Summary of provisions

This bill would extend the DEC's authority to fix, by regulation, management measures for American eel in State waters until December 31, 2014.

Justification

The DEC's regulatory authority over American eel is necessary in order to preserve the current regulatory program. Failure to extend the existing regulatory authority by December 31, 2011 will result in the loss of regulatory protection of these species. Moreover, regulatory authority is critical for New York State to maintain compliance with Fishery Management Plans for important marine and anadromous fish species along the coast. Failure to make necessary regulatory changes required by Fishery Management Plans places New York in jeopardy of closure of commercial and recreational fisheries. Finally, ECL §13-0105, which sets forth the State's marine fisheries conservation and management policy, provides that this policy shall be carried out through achievement of certain objectives. One of these objectives is that the state's transboundary and migratory species shall be consistent with any inter-jurisdictional management plans, interstate or state-federal. Regulatory authority provides the mechanism to react timely to the ever changing fishery management plans.

Legislative history

Last extended by Chapter 146 of the laws of 2007.

Fiscal implications

None to the State.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the same date as the enactment as a Chapter of the laws of 2011 entitled, "AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the management of Atlantic cod."