{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a2b43fb2-ee37-4ea5-907e-070711b3d40c", "Murkowskis Arctic, Coastal, Fishery Priorities for Alaska in 2015 Budget", "2014-12-10", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.10.14\n\t\t\t Murkowski\u2019s Arctic, Coastal, Fishery Priorities for Alaska in 2015 Budget \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t \u201cCRomnibus\u201d Government Spending Bill Includes Funding for Alaska\u2019s Fisheries, Arctic Navigation, Tsunami Debris Protection\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t The federal government\u2019s Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) budget for fiscal year 2015 includes several provisions written and advanced by Senator Lisa Murkowski. Among them are items to support Alaska\u2019s world class fisheries, improve Arctic navigation, and protect the state\u2019s coastline from the continued debris related to the 2011 Japanese tsunami. The CJS budget is a smaller portion of the omnibus agreement to fund the federal government next year.\r\n\u201cI want to thank my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for seeing the value of these vital Alaska needs,\u201d said Murkowski. \u201cThe focus given to these Alaskan priorities underscores the importance of our state\u2019s fisheries and coastlines and the growing awareness on Capitol Hill that we are an Arctic Nation and we must invest in our Arctic Future.\u201d\r\nBoosting Arctic Navigation: $25 million is included for hydrographic surveys \u2013 or sonar mapping \u2013 of the nation\u2019s coastline. Senator Murkowski also secured report language emphasizing the need for Arctic mapping:\r\n\u201cThe Committee directs NOAA to report within 60 days of enactment on progress made to survey and prepare navigational information for the Bering Straits region and the Arctic.\u00a0 NOAA is further directed to report on hydrographic activities planned for fiscal year 2015, including: vessels to be utilized, the areas to be surveyed, and the remaining gaps in the Arctic region.\u201d\r\nElectronic Monitoring for Alaska\u2019s Fishing Fleet: The appropriations bill includes $2 million in funding to implement electronic monitoringsystems on fishing vessels.\u00a0Last year, Senator Murkowski told NOAA that using cameras could be more efficient and safer than placing an observer on-board.\u00a0The bill also includes language from Senator Murkowski urging the agency to be more flexible regarding waiver requests for the observer program, reading:\r\n\u201cFurther, NMFS is encouraged to exercise reasonable discretion when evaluating requests by small boat fixed gear vessels seeking a release from the requirement to carry a human observer due to a lack of physical space or other physical constraint.\u00a0 The Committee is concerned with NMFS\u2019s approach to granting observer relief based on hardship and therefore directs the agency to grant such releases based on the actual number of bunks on a vessel and reasonable assessment of vessel operations with due consideration for the well-being of the crew.\u00a0 The Committee encourages NMFS to support the use of experimental fisheries permits, to continue the expeditious development of electronic monitoring equipment and procedures, and to use the experimental fisheries permits as the bridge between cooperative research and the implementation of electronic monitoring technology by regulation as a component of the Observer Program for small boat fixed gear fleets.\u201d\r\nAiding Alaska\u2019s Federal Coastline Fight Against Tsunami Debris: Senator Murkowski has stressed that since thousands of miles of Alaska\u2019s coastline are federally managed, the federal government should adequately fund clean-up efforts on the lands that it owns. The 2015 spending bill includes $6 million to address this need, and Murkowski\u2019s language:\r\n\u201cThe Committee supports the requested level for NOAA's Marine Debris Program but is concerned that NOAA has placed insufficient emphasis to clean up and dispose of marine debris resulting from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Within funds provided, NOAA shall give priority for clean-up and disposal activities on Federal lands within States inundated with debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.\u201d\r\nSustainably Managed Seafood: Senator Murkowski is continuing her fight against the efforts of non-governmental organizations seeking to judge the sustainability of Alaskan seafood, inserting language in this year\u2019s bill prohibiting federal agencies from using outside groups to certify the quality of fish caught in U.S. waters, reading:   \r\n\u201cThe U.S. leads the world in responsibly managed fisheries and aquaculture, and the Committee supports NOAA\u2019s activities to inform consumers about our nation\u2019s sustainable fisheries through the agency\u2019s Fish Watch program.\u00a0 However, the Committee is concerned that the exclusive use or recognition of third-party certifications for seafood sustainability by the Department could have unintended consequences for various domestic fisheries.\u00a0 The Committee acknowledges that some U.S. fisheries voluntarily utilize third-party seafood sustainability certification schemes but believes it is not the Department\u2019s role to adopt such certification schemes when doing so could result in the Department arbitrarily influencing the domestic seafood market.\u00a0 The Committee believes support for third-party certifications is best presented in non-governmental forums.\u00a0 Therefore, the Committee directs the Department not to adopt, use, or promote any third-party certification scheme for seafood sustainability, but to continue providing consumers with independent and accountable information generated from within the Department.\u201d \r\n \r\nRelated successes: Senator Murkowski also successfully prohibited third party, non-governmental seafood sustainability certification in both the Labor, Health and Human Services budget and the Department of Defense budget.\r\n \r\nOther Alaskan priorities in the finalized funding bill include:\r\n \r\nConsistent Funding for Salmon Management Activities: This year\u2019s budget maintains funding at $30.2 million, rebuffing the Obama administration\u2019s attempt to cut funding by $3 million.\r\nSupport for the National Data Buoy Center: $28.2 million for the project, along with Murkowski language prioritizing the need to curb the amount of outages among the buoy network.\r\nConsistent Funding for Fishery Stock Assessments: This year\u2019s bill includes $72 million in expanded stock assessments and $24 million for survey and monitoring projects within the Fisheries Research and Management Account.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t  \n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a2b43fb2-ee37-4ea5-907e-070711b3d40c"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8057300001382828, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}