Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott and Representative Byron Donalds have written an op-ed for The Tampa Bay Times advocating for the FISHES Act, aimed at expediting disaster relief for American fisheries. The Fishery Improvement to Streamline Untimely Regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act (FISHES Act) seeks to improve the federal regulatory process related to fishery disaster relief allocation. This initiative comes as Florida has requested federal fishery disaster declarations six times since 2012.

In their op-ed, Senator Scott and Representative Donalds state, “Your federal government is broken, and Florida’s seafood sector is paying the price for Washington’s dysfunction. While nearly everyone agrees that Washington should quickly deploy resources and assistance after natural disasters wreak havoc on coastal communities, right now it takes up to three years under current regulatory processes and a maze of red tape before federal fishery disaster relief is approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Office of Management and Budget.”

They emphasize that by the time NOAA and OMB approve disaster relief, many small businesses and fisheries are already devastated or closed. "This self-induced, slow-moving bureaucratic process is unacceptable," they write. They argue that streamlining this process is essential to aid Florida's seafood sector effectively.

The FISHES Act proposes cutting unnecessary red tape and enacting a 30-day decision requirement for OMB to either deny or approve a state's spending plan. "What we hope to do with this bill is to throw American fisheries and coastal communities a life raft to stay afloat post-disaster," they add.

Citing recent hurricanes Ian and Idalia as examples of the destruction faced by Florida's coastal communities, they stress the urgency of prompt federal action. “We need to put the federal government on the clock when it comes to disaster response,” they assert, highlighting that timely intervention is crucial for recovery.

The full op-ed can be read in The Tampa Bay Times.

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