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.
Faircloth
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1605 was adopted by the House on May
21, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House