Senator Scott Urges Sensible Regulation of Commercial Fishing Industry

Washington – Today, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) urged the federal government to ensure the proper balance between economic development and regulations relating to the commercial fishing industry. In South Carolina and many other states, large portions of the economy – including tourism and the restaurant industry – are reliant on the commercial fishing industry. However, many businesses have expressed concerns that unnecessary regulations make it harder for them to succeed while fish populations could still thrive with higher limits. Scott raised the concerns during a nomination hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for Mark Schaefer, the president’s nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. He specifically cited concerns raised by Crosby Seafoods, a commercial seafood distributor in Charleston. He also addressed how overregulation can affect local restaurants like Husk, also located in Charleston, which relies daily upon the availability of commercially-caught seafood to keep its doors open. Video of the questioning can be found here:                                         ###