What's happening
This bill extends the Department of Environmental Conservation's authority to regulate blackfish management in New York until December 31, 2022.
Why it matters
Extending regulatory authority allows the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to continue setting and adjusting rules for blackfish (tautog) fishing—such as size, catch limits, and gear—helping to address ongoing ecological concerns like overfishing and population decline.
The extension ensures that New York’s blackfish management stays aligned with broader regional and federal fishery plans, which is crucial for consistency across state lines and for effective, science-based conservation efforts.
Maintaining DEC’s authority to regulate blackfish contributes to the stability of both the local commercial and recreational fishing industries, helping to protect long-term economic interests by sustaining fish stocks.
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Extend Blackfish Management Authority
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.236
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.222
- Substituted for A8045
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–1
- Ordered to third reading cal.1274
- Referred to rules
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 Blackfish Management Authority
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Judy Griffin
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6387
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 7, 2019
Introduced by Sen. THOMAS -- (at request of the Department of Environmental Conservation) -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to extending the authority of the department of environmental conservation to manage blackfish
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 13-0340-d of the environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 140 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
1. The department may, until December thirty-first, two thousand [nineteen] twenty-two, fix by regulation measures for the management of blackfish (Tautoga onitis), including size limits, catch and possession limits, open and closed seasons, closed areas, restrictions on the manner of taking and landing, requirements for permits and eligibility therefor, recordkeeping requirements, requirements on the amount and type of fishing effort and gear, and requirements relating to transportation, possession and sale, provided that such regulations are no less restrictive than requirements set forth in this chapter and provided further that such regulations are consistent with the compliance requirements of applicable fishery management plans adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and with applicable provisions of fishery management plans adopted pursuant to the Federal Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1800 et seq.).
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09066-01-9
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 blackfish
Purpose of the bill
The purpose of this bill is to extend the authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to manage blackfish.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of this bill would amend Environmental Conservation Law
(ECL) § 13-0340-d to extend, until December 31, 2022, DEC's authority to fix by regulation measures for the management of blackfish (Tautoga onitis).
Section 2 of this bill provides that the bill shall take effect imme- diately.
Statement in support
DEC's regulatory authority for blackfish, or tautog, is necessary in order to preserve the current regulatory program. Failure to extend the existing regulatory authority by December 31, 2019 will result in the loss of regulatory protection for blackfish.
This bill would extend DEC's regulatory authority for an additional three years, and ensure that DEC continues to maintain compliance with the Fishery Management Plan for Tautog (FMP) adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. ECL § 13-0105, which sets forth the marine fisheries conservation and management policy, provides that one of the State's objectives shall be the management of the State's trans- boundary and migratory species consistent with any interjurisdictional management plans, interstate or state-federal. Moreover, failure to make necessary regulatory changes as may be required by the FMP could result in the closure of New York's blackfish fishery.
In 2018, DEC issued updated management regulations to assist in the rebuilding of blackfish populations. DEC had to substantially shorten the recreational and commercial fishing seasons and decrease the recre- ational possession limit in some areas. The regulatory authority provided by ECL § 13-0340-d allowed DEC to timely adopt measures needed to comply with changes to the FMP.
Prior legislative history
DEC's regulatory authority was last extended by Chapter 140 of the Laws of 2016.
Budget 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.