Northeast Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 674 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 674 To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 23, 2025 Mr. Golden of Maine (for himself and Mr. Van Drew) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Northeast Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN LOBSTER MANAGEMENT AREA 1. (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following: (1) The New England fishing industry has been an integral part of the history, culture, and economy of the region for over 400 years. (2) In 2023, the New England commercial fisheries landed an estimated 415,966,992 pounds of catch, valued at $1,350,533,650, which supports thousands of fishermen, their families, and communities that depend on these ocean resources. (3) The United States lobster fishery, with Maine and Massachusetts producing 93 percent of the lobster harvest, is one of the most valuable fisheries in the country with commercial landings totaling 113,007,821 pounds valued at $582,433,794. (4) Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine is a critical and highly productive fishing ground for halibut, tuna, flounder, redfish, black sea bass, monkfish, mackerel, rock and sand crab, mussels, hardshell and softshell clams, oysters, scallops, conchs,