Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Aumua Amata’s bill (H.R. 5025) to put sensible time limits on any government fines and penalties for fishing vessels was marked up and passed by the Natural Resources Committee.

“This bill would place time limits on the government, so they are required to notify fishing vessels in a timely manner of any violations,” said Aumua Amata. “A fishing vessel shouldn’t be dealing with penalties years after the fact without some limits. Instead, the initial report should be made promptly, and the government should be able to process it in a reasonable time, while the captain and crew are still available to discuss the incident fairly and remember it.”

“I appreciate the support of my colleagues in passing the bill, and the support expressed in the Committee for the concept of reasonable time limits,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “Compliance with regulations aboard our fishing fleet is necessary to protect our environment and ensure the safety of our fishermen. Our national focus on safety and environment sets us apart from some nations in the Pacific. By addressing any such violations in a more timely way, we can help reduce repeat ongoing violations that might accumulate before a fishing vessel is notified.”