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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 468 FILED ON: 1/9/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 115
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Antonio F. D. Cabral
_________________
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 to create the department of marine fisheries resources.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol1/9/2025 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 468 FILED ON: 1/9/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 115
By Representative Cabral of New Bedford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 115) of
Antonio F. D. Cabral for legislation to establish a division of marine fisheries resources within
the Department of Fish and Game of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Agriculture.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 759 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act to create the department of marine fisheries resources.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 130 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended, by striking out, in line 26, “division of marine fisheries” and
3inserting in place thereof the following: “division of marine fisheries resources.”
4 SECTION 2. Chapter 130 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
5striking out section 1A and inserting in place thereof the following:
6 Section 1A. The division of marine fisheries resources shall be within the department in
7the executive office of environmental affairs and shall be under the administrative supervision of
8a director who shall be called the director of marine fisheries resources. The director of the
9division of marine fisheries resources shall be appointed and may be removed by the 2 of 5
10commissioner of the department of fish and game with the approval of the marine fisheries
11advisory commission. The said division of marine fisheries resources shall:
12 (a) Promote and develop the commercial fishing industry; investigate improved methods
13of marketing and distributing commercial fish products within the commonwealth; and establish
14standards and design labels for the identification of commercial fish products processed,
15prepared or packed for distribution and for retail sales.
16 (b) Improve the conditions for fishermen, fish processors, and other shoreside industries.
17 (c) Collect and disseminate catch data as well as statistics about the fish and shellfish
18brought into, processed, marketed, stored, or held within the commonwealth, and make such
19statistics available to the public from time to time and the location thereof.
20 (d) Arrange lectures and issues for the general distribution of such publications best
21adapted to promote the interests of commercial fisheries.
22 (e) Establish and maintain properties at such places within the commonwealth for the
23purpose of propagating, rearing, and protecting fish.
24 (f) Enter into agreements with public or private entities, including the University of
25Massachusetts, to perform fish counts and fish stock analyses or other fisheries research.
26 (g) Publish reports or recommendations based on fish counts, fish stock analyses, or other
27fisheries research.
28 (h) Advise the Governor of the potential impact of regulation on the fishing industry and
29cooperate with all departments, boards, officials, and institutions of the commonwealth or its
30subdivisions that may be concerned in any way with matters under its supervision. 3 of 5
31 (i) Co-operate with other states, with the United States of America or any agency thereof,
32with other nations and with any other agencies as may be authorized by the general court, and
33receive and dispense such funds from any of such agencies, states or governments as may be
34authorized by the general court; and
35 (j) Oversee the division of marine fisheries resources and all its functions and administer
36all the laws relating to marine fisheries as appearing in chapter one hundred and thirty and any
37other general or special laws, except as pertaining to the enforcement thereof.
38 SECTION 3. Section 1B of chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking
39out, in line 1, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof the
40following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
41 SECTION 4. Section 74 of said chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended as
42follows:
43 (a) striking out, in line 1, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
44thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”; and
45 (b) striking out, in line 8, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
46thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”; and
47 (c) striking out, in lines 10-11, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
48place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
49 (d) striking out, in line 26, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
50thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”. 4 of 5
51 (e) striking out, in line 36, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
52thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
53 (f) striking out, in line 41, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
54thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
55 (g) striking out, in line 44, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
56thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
57 (h) striking out, in lines 45-46, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
58place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
59 (i) striking out, in lines 51-52, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
60place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
61 (j) striking out, in line 58, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place
62thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
63 (k) striking out, in lines 62-63, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in
64place thereof the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
65 SECTION 5. Section 76 of said chapter, as so appearing is hereby amended by striking
66out, in line 1, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof the
67following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”.
68 SECTION 6. Section 77 of said chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
69striking out, in lines 2-3, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof
70the following words: - “division of marine fisheries resources”. 5 of 5
71 SECTION 7. Section 80 of said chapter 130, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
72striking out, in line 25, the words “division of marine fisheries” and inserting in place thereof the
73following words: “division of marine fisheries resources”