Forage Fish Conservation Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 3714

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Last Updated

2026-01-08T09:07:13Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The Forage Fish Conservation Act of 2025 aims to enhance the conservation and management of forage fish—small to medium-sized fish that serve as key prey in marine ecosystems—by amending the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). This law seeks to ensure sustainable populations of these fish to support broader marine ecosystems, predators like tuna and seabirds, and commercial fisheries.

Key Provisions

• Findings on Forage Fish Role: Adds a new finding to the MSA emphasizing that forage fish are critical for energy transfer in marine food webs, and their population fluctuations can disrupt ecosystems. Proper management is essential for sustainable fisheries.

• Definitions:
• Requires the Secretary of Commerce (through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA) to define "forage fish" within 12 months of enactment, considering factors like low position in the food chain (trophic level), size, schooling behavior, role in predator diets, and energy transfer to higher-level species.
• Adds "forage fish" and "low trophic level" (fish that mainly eat plankton) to the MSA's definitions. Forage fish in approved fishery plans are those identified as such by regional councils.

• Scientific Advice: Updates the duties of Scientific and Statistical Committees (advisory groups to regional fishery councils) to provide recommendations on acceptable biological catch (a science-based harvest limit), preventing overfishing, maximum sustainable yield (long-term maximum harvest without depleting stocks), rebuilding targets, maintaining forage fish abundance for ecosystem health, and reports on stock status, bycatch (unintended catch), habitat, and fishing sustainability.

• Council Functions:
• Adds forage fish populations and distribution to research priorities for regional councils (groups that develop fishery management plans).
• Requires councils to list unmanaged forage fish in their areas and recommend prohibiting new directed fisheries (targeted harvesting) until impacts on existing fisheries, communities, and ecosystems are evaluated, and a management plan is developed if needed. These changes take effect 2 years after enactment.

• Fishery Management Plans (FMPs): Mandates that when setting annual catch limits for forage fish, plans must account for the dietary needs of dependent species like fish, marine mammals, and birds. This provision takes effect 5 years after enactment.

• Secretary's Actions: Requires the Secretary, in coordination with councils, to issue guidelines within 18 months to help implement new forage fish provisions, including workshops with scientific, fisheries, and conservation groups.

• Specific Measures for River Herring and Shad:
• Defines river herring (blueback herring and alewife) and shad (American shad and hickory shad).
• Within 180 days, the Secretary must amend Atlantic Herring and Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMPs to include these species as managed stocks.
• Initiate further amendments within 1 year to add conservation measures.
• Reallocate resources to ensure at least 50% of relevant fishing trips in Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries using mid-water trawl gear (nets towed below the surface) have onboard observers or equivalent electronic/video monitoring.

• Rule of Construction: Clarifies that the Act does not alter state jurisdiction within their boundaries or affect limited-access systems under the MSA or the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Amendments to MSA: Introduces forage fish-specific requirements across multiple sections, including new definitions, expanded council and committee roles, and ecosystem-focused catch limits—shifting from species-specific to more holistic, ecosystem-based management.
• Prohibitions and Timelines: Adds prohibitions on new unmanaged forage fisheries and imposes delayed effective dates (2–5 years) for some changes to allow preparation. Mandates specific inclusion and monitoring for river herring and shad, overriding some existing plan provisions.
• Guidelines and Monitoring: Establishes new federal guidelines and boosts at-sea monitoring in key fisheries, enhancing enforcement and data collection beyond current MSA standards.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: NOAA and regional councils will face increased workload for definitions, guidelines, plan amendments, and monitoring, potentially requiring resource reallocation but improving long-term fishery sustainability.
• Citizens and Communities: Fishing communities dependent on predator species (e.g., tuna) may benefit from stable ecosystems, but directed forage fish harvesters could see restrictions on new fisheries, affecting livelihoods in regions like the Atlantic coast.
• International Relations: Limited direct impact, as the MSA focuses on U.S. waters (up to 200 miles offshore), but better-managed forage fish could support shared stocks with neighboring countries, indirectly aiding transboundary conservation efforts.
• Environment: Promotes healthier marine ecosystems by protecting prey bases, potentially reducing overfishing risks and supporting biodiversity, including for non-commercial species like seabirds and marine mammals.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Regional Fishery Management Councils: Must update plans, lists, and recommendations, gaining new tools for ecosystem management.
• Commercial Fishermen and Fishing Industries: Impacted by catch limits, prohibitions on new fisheries, and enhanced monitoring, particularly in herring, mackerel, and related Atlantic fisheries.
• Conservation and Environmental Groups: Benefit from stronger protections for forage fish and ecosystem considerations.
• Scientific Community: Expanded role in advising on stock assessments and trophic (food web) dynamics.
• Marine Wildlife and Broader Public: Indirectly supported through preserved food sources for predators, enhancing recreational fishing and ecotourism.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens MSA's ecosystem-based approach without creating new authority, ensuring compliance with national standards for sustainable fisheries. The rule of construction preserves state-federal balance under the 10th Amendment (reserving powers to states), avoiding jurisdictional conflicts.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's commerce clause authority over interstate fisheries, promoting uniform management in federal waters while respecting state boundaries.
• Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Reps. Dingell and Mast) signals broad support for conservation amid debates on overfishing. Delayed implementation allows adaptation, but mandates like monitoring reallocations could spark disputes over funding and enforcement priorities in resource-limited agencies. No major partisan divides evident in the text.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]

Cosponsors (6)

Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]

Recent Actions

• 2025-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
• 2025-06-04: Introduced in House
• 2025-06-04: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Forage Fish Conservation Act of 2025 — issued 2025-06-04 — PDF (10 pages)