Baton Rouge Reporter

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources recently convened to discuss Congressman Garret Graves’ newly introduced legislation, the Fisheries Data Modernization and Accuracy Act. This bill seeks to update the data used for managing fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and other coastal regions. It aims to involve states more actively in collecting recreational fishing data and demands higher accountability from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to ensure their "best available science" is reliable and useful.

"For years, we’ve been saying that the states can provide better and more precise fisheries management data than the federal government. We know that NOAA’s data collection is skewed, and our bill provides the solution to fix this problem," stated Congressman Graves. "More reliable data leads to more precise management decisions. By leveraging the expertise of state agencies – who have a deeper understanding of local resources and fishing communities – we will gather better data. We owe it to our future generations to be responsible stewards of our fisheries, and this is a crucial step forward."

The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission expressed support for the legislation: "We are greatly appreciative of Congressional efforts to help provide the infrastructure and resources needed to help improve recreational data collection efforts that support science needs for making sound marine fisheries management decisions. This proposed bill would make positive strides in advancing our efforts to collect the highest quality recreational effort and landings data possible."

Jessica McCawley, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries Management at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, also endorsed Graves' initiative: “Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission thanks Congressman Graves for introducing this important legislation. It is a serious proposal that would add important data for fish managers to make the best decisions for conservation.”

Background:

In April 2024, Congressmen Graves, Westerman, Senators Wicker, Cruz, along with 20 other bipartisan Members of Congress sent a letter urging NOAA Assistant Administrator Janet Coit to modernize data used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). They called for improved scientific methods in fisheries management.

NOAA confirmed in August 2023 that their federal data collection program had overestimated recreational fishing by 30-40 percent for species like red snapper due to inaccuracies.

Congressman Graves previously succeeded with related legislation; his Modern Fish Act was signed into law by President Trump on December 31, 2018.