Fisheries Modernization Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would allow freshwater fisheries, specifically red swamp and white river crawfish, to receive federal disaster money. Currently, this type of relief is mostly reserved for saltwater or ocean-going fish.
• It creates a new category for disasters caused by infrastructure. This means if a federal or state levee, spillway, or flood control system fails and ruins a fishing season, those affected can apply for government help.
• The plan addresses problems like extreme drought, flooding, and poor water quality that can kill off crawfish populations. It ensures that these environmental disruptions are officially recognized as disasters so workers can get financial support.
• This change is designed to protect the livelihoods of people who depend on crawfish for their income or food. It treats these freshwater industries the same as traditional ocean fishing businesses when major events cause a loss of catch.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.