text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Seabed Protection Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) More than \2/3\ of Earth's surface is covered by 
          oceans.
              (2) The oceans and marine waters contain a greater variety 
          of forms of life than exists on land, and scientists are 
          continually discovering new forms of life in previously 
          unexplored, unique habitats.
              (3) The earth's human population is dependent upon the 
          products of the oceans for income, nutrition, medicines, raw 
          materials, and valuable natural services such as climate 
          regulation, flood control, and storm surge protection.
              (4) The practice and technology of bottom trawling and use 
          of other mobile fishing gear on the seabed has increased to the 
          point that an area of seabed twice the size of the contiguous 
          United States is affected by these practices each year.
              (5) These practices result in a loss of biological 
          diversity, which is detrimental not only to the ocean 
          environment itself but also to the industries and people that 
          depend on that environment.
              (6) Little is known about the recoverability of the seabed 
          from the effects of bottom trawling and use of other mobile 
          fishing gear on the seabed. However, due to the slow rates of 
          growth and reproduction of some marine species, it is believed 
          that full recovery in some areas may take decades or centuries.
  
  SEC. 3. MORATORIUM.
  
      (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any provision of the Magnuson-
  Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et 
  seq.), no person may engage in bottom trawling or use of other mobile 
  fishing gear on the seabed in any marine area described in subsection 
  (b), until--
              (1) the National Marine Fisheries Service has completed a 
          study and determined the effects of those practices in those 
          areas;
              (2) the Secretary of Commerce has determined, based on 
          findings of such a study and other pertinent scientific 
          information, that the impacts of bottom trawling and such other 
          mobile fishing gear on biodiversity, marine habitat, and 
          productivity of fish stocks is negligible; and
              (3) the Secretary of Commerce has approved and implemented 
          fishery management plans for those areas, that--
                      (A) are developed by the appropriate regional 
                  fishery management councils in accordance with that 
                  Act;
                      (B) encourage the use of fishing gears that are 
                  less destructive of habitat than bottom trawling and 
                  other mobile fishing gear on the seabed; and
                      (C) prohibit use of bottom trawling and other 
                  mobile fishing gear practices that threaten the 
                  continued sustainability of ecosystems in those areas.
      (b) Marine Areas Described.--
              (1) In general.--The marine areas referred to in subsection 
          (a) are the following:
                      (A) The Heceta Banks, located off the coast of 
                  Oregon, 125 00' w-124 45' w/ 43 55' n-44 15' n.
                      (B) Cordell Bank, located off the coast of central 
                  California, 123 20' w-123 38' w/ 37 55' n-30 05' n.
                      (C) The Gulf of the Farallones outside of the line 
                  that is three miles from the coastline, located off the 
                  coast of California, 122 35' w-123 15''w/ 37 30' n-38 
                  05' n.
                      (D) Tanner and Cortez Banks, located off the coast 
                  of southern California, 119 00' w-119 25' w/ 32 50 n-32 
                  20' n.
                      (E) Punta Gorda, located off the coast of northern 
                  California, 124 23' w-124 50' w/ 4-20' n-40 10' n.
                      (F) Cape Blanco, located off the coast of Oregon, 
                  124 42' w-124 55' w/ 42 40' n-43 00n.
                      (G) Florida Middle Grounds located in the Gulf of 
                  Mexico off the coast of Florida, 84 40'w-85 15' w/ 28 
                  10'n-28 55n.
                      (H) Dry Tortugas, located in the Gulf of Mexico off 
                  the coast of Florida, 82 40'2w-83 10'w/ 24 30'n 24 
                  50'n.
                      (I) Nantucket Shoals, located off the coast of Cape 
                  Cod, Massachusetts, 69 00'w-70 20'w/ 40 30'n-41 00'n.
                      (J) Jeffrey's Ledge, Tillies Bank, and Stellwagon 
                  Bank, located in the Gulf of Maine, 69 50'w-70 30'w/42 
                  08'n-43 15'n.
                      (K) Cashes Ledge, located in the Gulf of Maine, 68 
                  40'w-69 15'w/42 30'n-43 15'n.
                      (L) Stonewall Bank of the central Oregon coast, 124 
                  20'w-124 28'w/44 27'n-44 39'n.
                      (M) Rogue River Reef off the southern Oregon coast, 
                  124 35'w-124 50'w/42 25'n-42 35'n.
              (2) Further description by secretary.--For purposes of this 
          Act, the Secretary of Commerce may more particularly describe 
          the areas listed in paragraph (1).
      (c) Report.--The Secretary of Commerce shall report annually to the 
  Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
  Committee on Commerce of the Senate regarding the recovery of areas 
  described in subsection (b) from the effects of bottom trawling and use 
  of other mobile fishing gear on the seabed.
      (d) Limitation on Application.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to 
  an area after the date the Secretary publishes a finding that there are 
  in effect, under State law or a fishery management plan under the 
  Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
  1801 et seq.), measures that are at least as effective as subsection 
  (a) in maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems in that area.
      (e) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) Negligible.--The term ``negligible'' means--
                      (A) insufficient to diminish the productivity of 
                  fish stocks; and
                      (B) insufficient to significantly reduce other 
                  marine life.
              (2) Sustainability of ecosystems.--The term 
          ``sustainability of ecosystems'' means the capability of 
          ecosystems to--
                      (A) maintain productivity of fish stocks at maximum 
                  sustainable yield specified for those fish stocks in 
                  fishery management plans in effect under the Magnuson-
                  Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 
                  U.S.C. 1801 et seq.); and
                      (B) maintain types and abundances of other marine 
                  species normally found within similar areas that are 
                  not subject to bottom trawling and other mobile fishing 
                  gear practices.
target: Seabed Protection Act - Prohibits any person from engaging in bottom trawling or use of other mobile fishing gear on the seabed in specified marine areas until: (1) the National Marine Fisheries Service has completed a study and determined the effects of those practices; (2) the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the impacts of bottom trawling and such other mobile fishing gear on biodiversity, marine habitat, and productivity of fish stocks is negligible; and (3) the Secretary has approved and implemented fishery management plans that are developed by the appropriate regional fishery management councils, that encourage the use of fishing gears that are less destructive of habitat than bottom trawling and other mobile fishing gear, and that prohibit use of bottom trawling and other mobile fishing gear practices that threaten the continued sustainability of ecosystems.Directs the Secretary to report annually to specified congressional committees regarding the recovery of such marine areas from the effects of bottom trawling and use of other mobile fishing gear on the seabed.Provides that such prohibition shall not apply to an area after the Secretary publishes a finding that there are in effect, under State law or a fishery management plan under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act measures that are at least as effective as those required under this Act in maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems in that area.
feat_title: To establish a moratorium on bottom trawling and use of other mobile fishing gear on the seabed in certain areas off the coast of the United States.