“A bill to establish an East Coast Bivalve Research Task Force.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the purposes of the Act, which are (1) to characterize trends in bivalve productivity and abundance in East Coast States and identify related research needs; (2) to prioritize scientific research needs for commercially harvested and aquacultured East Coast bivalves; (3) to address increased variability or declines in harvests of key bivalve species in East Coast States, including quahogs (hard clams), through a coordinated research strategy; and (4) to support collaboration and coordination for bivalve conservation efforts in East Coast States.
This section defines for purposes of the Act— (1) "bivalve" as aquatic mollusks that have an external two-part hinged shell containing a soft-bodied invertebrate, including clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops; (2) "Indian Tribe" as having the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); and (3) "quahog (hard clam)" as the Northern quahog or hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, and the Southern quahog or Southern hard clam, Mercenaria campechiensis.
This section directs the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, to convene an East Coast Bivalve Research Task Force not later than 90 days after enactment. The task force, composed of 16-21 members appointed by the Secretary—including representatives from NOAA, EPA, USDA, the three councils, the commission, state fish and wildlife agencies, Indian Tribes, the bivalve industry supply chain, and academic experts—is chaired by the NOAA representative and must (1) review bivalve science on quahogs (hard clams) and other species relevant to East Coast fisheries and aquaculture, covering topics such as traditional ecological knowledge, habitat, climate change impacts, restoration, diseases, and economics; (2) identify research gaps and needs to address declining harvests; and (3) submit a report with solutions to the Secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture and specified congressional committees not later than two years after establishment.