HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2488 FILED ON: 1/15/2015
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 699
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Peter V. Kocot
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to conserving bluefin tuna.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
Peter V. Kocot | 1st Hampshire | 1/15/2015 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2488 FILED ON: 1/15/2015
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 699
By Mr. Kocot of Northampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 699) of Peter V. Kocot for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to the population of and control of fishing for Bluefin Tuna. Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. |
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 737 OF 2013-2014.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)
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An Act relative to conserving bluefin tuna.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Resolved, there is hereby created a special commission to study the existing bluefin tuna fishery in Massachusetts coastal waters, to promote the continued viability of the species, to restore a significant population of giant bluefin tuna, to examine the economic and biological impacts of different fishing techniques, such as hook and line, traditional harpooning and purse seining and to examine the interaction of commercial and recreational bluefin tuna fisheries. Said special commission shall compile and evaluate historical data on the frequency, location and size distribution of bluefin tuna taken in Massachusetts waters and the fishing techniques used. Said special commission shall be comprised of three members of the house of representatives, to be appointed by the speaker, two members of the senate, to be appointed by the senate president, and seven members to be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be representative of commercial purse seine tuna fishing interests, one of whom shall be representative of traditional harpooning of tuna interests, one of whom shall be representative of commercial hook and line tuna fishing interests, one of whom shall be representative of recreational tuna fishing interests, one of whom shall be representative of the division of coastal zone management, one of whom shall be representative of the division of marine fisheries and one of whom shall be representative of the marine trades industry. Said special commission may conduct its meetings at facilities of the commonwealth located in coastal communities and shall report its findings to the committee on natural resources, the division of marine fisheries and the division of coastal zone management no later than November 30, 2016.