84R12941 BPG-D

By: Faircloth H.R. No. 1605

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a problem with serious economic, environmental, and security implications; and

WHEREAS, Illegal fishing accounts for economic losses of billions of dollars per year globally, and millions of those lost dollars result from poaching in the Gulf of Mexico; such activity is largely conducted by foreign fleets at the expense of United States fishermen, coastal communities, and the sustainability of global fish stocks; and

WHEREAS, Illegal fishing is of particular consequence in Texas, where the Gulf Coast waters supply seafood for the American public and support the hospitality industry, tourism-related businesses, and the vibrant recreational and commercial fishing industry; not only does illegal fishing result in economic losses to the Texas fishing industry and other coastal businesses, but it also is a threat to the sustainability of our fisheries and to the Texas Gulf Coast ecosystem; and

WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the United States Coast Guard are to be commended for their partnership in investigating and apprehending foreign vessels engaged in illegal activity along the Texas-Mexico border; and

WHEREAS, Foreign nationals fishing illegally in U.S. waters compete for local stock, and they disregard state and federal laws on catch limits; when they sell their fish in the United States, they can flood the market with a cheaper product; moreover, they often use banned longline netting that imperils marine mammals and sea turtles; and

WHEREAS, Vessels involved with illegal fishing are also associated with other crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal immigration, and the incursion by these foreign fishing vessels into U.S. waters constitutes a violation of our sovereignty; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby express its commitment to the elimination of illegal fishing, to the long-term conservation of Texas marine resources, and to the protection of the Texas Gulf Coast fishing and coastal communities; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to take action to protect our coastal borders and to end illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in our sovereign waters; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.