H.R. No. 1605

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a
	problem with serious economic, environmental, and security
	implications; and
	WHEREAS, Illegal fishing accounts for economic losses of
	billions of dollars per year globally, and millions of those lost
	dollars result from poaching in the Gulf of Mexico; such activity is
	largely conducted by foreign fleets at the expense of United States
	fishermen, coastal communities, and the sustainability of global
	fish stocks; and
	WHEREAS, Illegal fishing is of particular consequence in
	Texas, where the Gulf Coast waters supply seafood for the American
	public and support the hospitality industry, tourism-related
	businesses, and the vibrant recreational and commercial fishing
	industry; not only does illegal fishing result in economic losses
	to the Texas fishing industry and other coastal businesses, but it
	also is a threat to the sustainability of our fisheries and to the
	Texas Gulf Coast ecosystem; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
	United States Coast Guard are to be commended for their partnership
	in investigating and apprehending foreign vessels engaged in
	illegal activity along the Texas-Mexico border; and
	WHEREAS, Foreign nationals fishing illegally in U.S. waters
	compete for local stock, and they disregard state and federal laws
	on catch limits; when they sell their fish in the United States,
	they can flood the market with a cheaper product; moreover, they
	often use banned longline netting that imperils marine mammals and
	sea turtles; and
	WHEREAS, Vessels involved with illegal fishing are also
	associated with other crimes, including drug trafficking, human
	trafficking, and illegal immigration, and the incursion by these
	foreign fishing vessels into U.S. waters constitutes a violation of
	our sovereignty; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby express its commitment to the elimination of
	illegal fishing, to the long-term conservation of Texas marine
	resources, and to the protection of the Texas Gulf Coast fishing and
	coastal communities; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives hereby
	respectfully urge the United States Congress to take action to
	protect our coastal borders and to end illegal, unreported, and
	unregulated fishing in our sovereign waters; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward official copies of
	this resolution to the president of the United States, to the
	president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
	Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all members
	of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this
	resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to
	the Congress of the United States of America.
	Faircloth
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1605 was adopted by the House on May
	21, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not
	voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House