The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a Coast Guard authorization bill that includes support for commercial fisheries.
The legislation would provide more than USD 30 billion (EUR 28 billion) for the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
“This legislation prioritizes the Coast Guard’s most important asset – the men and women of the Coast Guard, and their families,” U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) said when the bipartisan legislation was introduced in February. “The bill also increases funding for core Coast Guard missions such as shipbuilding and cracking down on illegal fishing and drug smuggling.”
The bill was passed by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on 5 March, and by the full Senate later that day.
The legislation includes multiple provisions to prevent abandoned vessels and lost gear. If passed, the Coast Guard would be required to create a new inventory list of vessels and authorize a new USD 500 (EUR 462) per day fine for abandoned vessels. The bill would also continue authorization of a satellite tracking system used to mark fishing gear locations.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act would also support NOAA research …
