Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HR1605 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	84R12941 BPG-D
2		-	By: Faircloth H.R. No. 1605
	1	+	H.R. No. 1605
3	2
4	3
5	4		R E S O L U T I O N
6	5		WHEREAS, Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a
7	6		problem with serious economic, environmental, and security
8	7		implications; and
9	8		WHEREAS, Illegal fishing accounts for economic losses of
10	9		billions of dollars per year globally, and millions of those lost
11	10		dollars result from poaching in the Gulf of Mexico; such activity is
12	11		largely conducted by foreign fleets at the expense of United States
13	12		fishermen, coastal communities, and the sustainability of global
14	13		fish stocks; and
15	14		WHEREAS, Illegal fishing is of particular consequence in
16	15		Texas, where the Gulf Coast waters supply seafood for the American
17	16		public and support the hospitality industry, tourism-related
18	17		businesses, and the vibrant recreational and commercial fishing
19	18		industry; not only does illegal fishing result in economic losses
20	19		to the Texas fishing industry and other coastal businesses, but it
21	20		also is a threat to the sustainability of our fisheries and to the
22	21		Texas Gulf Coast ecosystem; and
23	22		WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
24	23		United States Coast Guard are to be commended for their partnership
25	24		in investigating and apprehending foreign vessels engaged in
26	25		illegal activity along the Texas-Mexico border; and
27	26		WHEREAS, Foreign nationals fishing illegally in U.S. waters
28	27		compete for local stock, and they disregard state and federal laws
29	28		on catch limits; when they sell their fish in the United States,
30	29		they can flood the market with a cheaper product; moreover, they
31	30		often use banned longline netting that imperils marine mammals and
32	31		sea turtles; and
33	32		WHEREAS, Vessels involved with illegal fishing are also
34	33		associated with other crimes, including drug trafficking, human
35	34		trafficking, and illegal immigration, and the incursion by these
36	35		foreign fishing vessels into U.S. waters constitutes a violation of
37	36		our sovereignty; now, therefore, be it
38	37		RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
39	38		Legislature hereby express its commitment to the elimination of
40	39		illegal fishing, to the long-term conservation of Texas marine
41	40		resources, and to the protection of the Texas Gulf Coast fishing and
42	41		coastal communities; and, be it further
43	42		RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives hereby
44	43		respectfully urge the United States Congress to take action to
45	44		protect our coastal borders and to end illegal, unreported, and
46	45		unregulated fishing in our sovereign waters; and, be it further
47	46		RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of
48	47		this resolution to the president of the United States, to the
49	48		president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
50	49		Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all members
51	50		of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this
52	51		resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to
53	52		the Congress of the United States of America.
	53	+	Faircloth
	54	+	______________________________
	55	+	Speaker of the House
	56	+	I certify that H.R. No. 1605 was adopted by the House on May
	57	+	21, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not
	58	+	voting.
	59	+	______________________________
	60	+	Chief Clerk of the House