U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, last week introduced two amendments to S. 2363, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014. The bill will be considered on the Senate floor this week.

"Allowing states to have more control over red snapper fisheries and promoting transparency and accountability within the Regional Fishery Management Councils are the main goals of my amendments to the Sportsmen's Act," said Vitter. "Thousands of Louisianians and businesses are impacted by the red snapper fisheries, and I absolutely trust the States much more than the federal government."

Vitter's first amendment would bring transparency to closed meetings of the Regional Fishery Management Councils (RFMC), including new requirements for detailed minutes and transcripts. Vitter's second amendment grants the Gulf States regional management authority of the red snapper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

Recently, Vitter wrote an op-ed in the Houma Courier entitled, "Protecting Red Snapper Fishing." He has also been conducting attentive oversight of the Gulf of Mexico RFMC and their continuing efforts to update the decades-old allocations for the red snapper fisheries. Click here to read more.

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