03.10.05

Cantwell Named Senior Democrat on Senate Fisheries & Coast Guard Panel

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has been named the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee's Fisheries & Coast Guard panel. As the subcommittee's Ranking Member, Cantwell will shape its work on a number of issues vital to Washington state, including commercial fishing, port security, maritime transportation and trade. Cantwell said she will also use her new post to shape policies impacting the nation's coastal waters, and to oversee salmon and orca recovery efforts.

"In the Northwest, we recognize that environmental stewardship of our waterways and coastline and the strength of our economy are naturally intertwined," Cantwell said. "My position on this important subcommittee will help me represent Washington state's many and diverse needs as a coastal state, where maritime trade fuels our economy and coastal waters are a key to our region's character and quality of life."

Cantwell's panel will also oversee the U.S. Coast Guard -- a critical resource to the state's safety, security and environmental enforcement efforts, with an in-state annual budget of more than $450 million. Washington state has thousands of miles of coastline that adjoin both rural and urban areas, is home to the second-largest shipping port in the nation, and operates nearly half of the car and passenger ferries in the U.S. The Coast Guard has a large presence in the Port of Seattle and uses the ports of Seattle and Tacoma as a base for many of its local and distant operations.

"The Coast Guard has long been recognized not just for its role in protecting boaters, policing the nation's waters, and supporting fisheries management," Cantwell observed, "but as we continue to evaluate ways to protect our nation in the wake of September 11th, it's clear that the Coast Guard plays a critical role in our national security. I'll make sure that it has the resources it needs to keep Washington 's coastal borders and ports secure."

The jurisdiction of the Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee is also important to the many Washington state residents who are involved in the commercial fishing industry. Seattle is the home port for much of the commercial fishing industry in Alaska, where about half of the fish that feed the country are caught. Also, much of the fish caught in Alaskan waters is shipped through the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.

Cantwell's position on the subcommittee will also help provide support to the Northwest's world class oceans and fisheries research base. The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington is recognized as a world leader in fisheries research and technology and has played a pivotal role in many modern and innovative fisheries management techniques and stock assessment strategies.

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