United States Capito Tender

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito R-W.Va. and Dianne Feinstein D-Calif. reintroduced the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act a bipartisan bill to phase out the use of harmful large mesh driftnets off the coast of California the only place the nets continued to be used in the United States.Last year California passed a four-year phase out of driftnets in state waters to protect marine life. The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act would extend similar protections to all federal waters within five years and authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help fishermen transition to more sustainable nets.Its important that we do what we can to protect marine wildlife Senator Capito said. Unfortunately large mesh driftnetswhich are banned in all statesare still injuring or killing a large amount of marine animals off the coast of California. Thats why Im proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill that will ensure harmful driftnets are no longer allowed in any of our U.S. waters.California took the important first step to protect marine animals from large mesh driftnets off our coast and its imperative we now extend those protections into federal waters Senator Feinstein said. Its heartbreaking that a single California fishery using this type of driftnet is killing more dolphins and porpoises than all other fisheries along the West Coast and Alaska combined. Our bipartisan bill will remove these harmful nets from all of Californias coastal waters and facilitate more sustainable fishing methods.