SHIFT Act

This bill changes federal fishery laws to address fish populations that move between regions as ocean conditions change. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to account for ecological changes, such as shifts in where fish live, when setting quota allocations under Atlantic coastal fishery plans. It sets a process for deciding when a fishery has shifted across regional fishery council boundaries and for assigning which council or councils manage it, with deadlines. It also limits adding new fisheries or fishing gear to the federal list unless an analysis finds minimal harm to fish habitat, existing fisheries, and the ecosystem, and requires councils to review that list at least every 5 years.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Richard Blumenthal Democrat sponsor
• 2 cosponsors