Fisheries Modernization Act of 2025

The "Fisheries Modernization Act of 2025" aims to broaden the scope of fishery resource disaster relief under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. It introduces a new category of disaster, an "infrastructure-related cause," which encompasses events stemming from the operation or failure of Federal or State infrastructure, such as flood control systems, spillways, levees, and diversions, that disrupt fishery activity or water quality. This legislation explicitly extends eligibility for disaster assistance to certain freshwater fisheries, specifically mentioning the red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish fisheries. It also specifies that information regarding hydrological conditions, water quality degradation, and extreme environmental events impacting these crawfish fisheries should be considered for relief. The bill ensures that these changes do not limit the existing eligibility of marine or anadromous fisheries for disaster assistance.