What's happening
This bill extends the Department of Environmental Conservation’s authority to manage blueback herring until December 31, 2020.
Why it matters
Continued Protection for a Vulnerable Species. By extending the Department of Environmental Conservation's authority to manage blueback herring, the bill helps ensure ongoing oversight of a fish species that has experienced significant population declines due to overfishing and habitat loss.
Allows for Adaptive Management. The extension gives the state flexibility to respond to new scientific data or changes in the health of blueback herring populations, which may be necessary to avoid further declines or to enable eventual recovery.
Supports Ecosystem Health and Local Fisheries. Blueback herring are an important forage species for other fish, birds, and wildlife. Continued management helps maintain the broader health of river and estuarine ecosystems, which can benefit recreational and commercial fisheries in New York.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Extend Herring Protections
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A8274
- Ordered to third reading cal.1959
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to environmental conservation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Extend Herring Protections
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Pamela J. Hunter
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5711
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 26, 2017
Introduced by Sen. MARCELLINO -- (at request of the Department of Environmental Conservation) -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to extending the authority of the department of environmental conservation to manage blueback herring
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph g of subdivision 1 of section 13-0339-a of the environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 129 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
g. blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) until December thirty-first, two thousand [seventeen] twenty,
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09952-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to extending the authority of the department of environmental conservation to manage blueback herring
Purpose of the bill
This bill would amend the Fish and Wildlife Law to allow the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to issue orders to extend DEC's authority to manage blueback herring.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of this bill would amend ECL § 13-0339-a(1)(g) to extend, until December 31, 2020, DEC's authority to fix by regulation measures for the management of blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis).
Section 2 of this bill would make it effective immediately.
Justification
DEC's regulatory authority for blueback herring is necessary in order to preserve the current regulatory program. Failure to extend the existing regulatory authority by December 31, 2017 will result in the loss of regulatory protection for this species.
This bill would extend DEC's regulatory authority for blueback herring for an additional three years, and ensure that DEC continues to be able to maintain compliance with any applicable federal management plan or Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). ECL § 13-0105, which sets forth the marine fisheries conservation and management policy, provides that one of the State's objectives shall be that the management of the State's transboundary and migratory species shall be consistent with any interjurisdictional management plans, interstate or state-federal. Failure to make necessary regulatory changes as may be required by an applicable FMP could result in the closure of New York's fishery for that species.
Prior legislative history
ECL § 13-0339-a was added by Chapter 196 of the Laws of 1999 and last amended by Chapter 129 of the Laws of 2015.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.