Legislative Hearing | Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries

House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries

2025-07-22

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Summary

This meeting of the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries convened to consider seven legislative measures and a discussion draft. [ 00:09:55 ]

The bills addressed a wide array of topics, including modernizing the Marine Mammal Protection Act, increasing transparency in Endangered Species Act implementation, and species-specific issues like shark feeding and invasive catfish management. [ 00:10:45-00:10:52 ]

Themes

Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Reform

Several members and witnesses advocated for modernizing the MMPA, highlighting its age and "regulatory creep" that causes ambiguity, litigation, and delays for critical projects. [ 00:11:07-00:11:12 ]

They emphasized the need for clearer definitions of terms like "negligible impact" and "harassment," predictable timelines for incidental take authorizations, and decisions based on objective, best available science, rather than overly precautionary principles. [ 00:11:23 ] This reform is considered crucial for economic activities such as offshore energy, commercial fishing, and the maritime sector, particularly in regions like Alaska where development is often hindered by the current implementation of the Act. [ 00:11:23 ]

Conversely, opponents voiced strong concerns that the proposed MMPA reforms would dismantle essential protections, undermine conservation efforts, and lead to increased mortality and extinction of marine mammals. [ 00:16:06-00:16:50 ]

[ 00:21:33-00:21:39 ] They underscored the MMPA's historical success in preventing marine mammal extinctions over five decades and its role in protecting species like whales and seals. [ 00:16:10 ] [ 00:21:52 ] Critics expressed alarm about changes to conservation standards, reduced agency funding, and the potential negative impact on iconic species such as southern resident killer whales and North Atlantic right whales. [ 00:16:45 ] [ 00:17:19-00:17:35 ] [ 00:22:51 ]

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Transparency and Implementation

The "Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act of 2025" (HR 180) was discussed, aiming to make scientific data used for ESA listings publicly available and to incorporate data from state, local, and tribal governments. [ 00:10:00 ]

Supporters contended that this would enhance credibility, accountability, and ensure decisions are rooted in the "best available scientific and commercial data," thereby avoiding obscure or politically driven findings.

Critics, however, characterized HR 180 as an attempt to "cherry-pick science" and dismantle endangered species protections for the benefit of specific interest groups, such as mining and logging industries. [ 00:16:03 ]

They cautioned that it would create new bureaucratic obstacles for scientists while exempting industry from equivalent requirements. The Fish and Wildlife Service generally supported the intent of transparency and collaboration but expressed reservations about automatically treating all state data as "best available" and their capacity to maintain a comprehensive litigation database. The service acknowledged that current litigation frequently impedes recovery efforts. [ 00:49:54 ]

Species-Specific Legislation

The Sturgeon Conservation and Sustainability Act (HR 4033) proposes to exempt farm-raised sturgeon and their offspring from certain ESA prohibitions, distinguishing them from wild populations. [ 00:10:17 ]

This measure is intended to bolster domestic aquaculture, alleviate pressure on wild sturgeon, and mitigate economic harm to producers like Evans Farms. Opponents, however, claimed the bill would primarily benefit large foreign caviar producers from China and Russia by permitting imports of caviar from ESA-listed fish with minimal oversight. [ 00:14:54-00:15:24 ]

The Florida Safe Seas Act (HR 3831) seeks to extend Florida's state ban on shark feeding into federal waters off the Florida coast, aiming to enhance public safety by discouraging sharks from associating humans with food. [ 00:10:08 ]

[ 00:14:13 ]

The MAWS Act (HR 4294) introduces a pilot program to utilize invasive blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay in the pet and animal food industry. [ 00:10:36 ]

[ 00:14:02 ] [ 00:33:46-00:34:04 ] This initiative intends to combat the ecological threat posed by blue catfish, safeguard native species like blue crabs, and generate economic opportunities for watermen. [ 00:34:46 ]

An amendment to the Sykes Act (HR 4293) aims to provide greater flexibility for cooperative and interagency agreements related to land management off military installations. [ 00:10:27 ]

[ 00:11:34 ] The objective is to resolve ongoing litigation and ensure the operational viability of critical military assets through species conservation on Department of Defense lands, bypassing the more stringent aspects of the ESA. [ 00:12:04-00:12:11 ]

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting largely conveyed a contentious and polarized tone, particularly concerning the proposed reforms to the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. [ 00:14:28-00:14:36 ]

[ 00:21:03-00:21:07 ] While some legislative proposals, such as the Florida Safe Seas Act and the MAWS Act, received bipartisan support and fostered a more constructive dialogue, discussions surrounding ESA transparency and MMPA modernization were marked by strong disagreements and accusations ranging from "gutting" environmental protections to "regulatory creep." [ 00:16:06-00:16:50 ] [ 00:21:33-00:21:39 ] Testimony from agency officials typically navigated these contentious issues carefully, emphasizing a commitment to collaborative efforts and process streamlining. [ 00:49:54 ]