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# U.S. Senators Cassidy and Jones Introduce DESCEND Act Companion

Sportfishing community lauds bipartisan effort to conserve Gulf reef fish

Rebecca Louviere - Center for Sportfishing Policy
4 hours ago
Clearly-barotraumatized fish like this mutton snapper (note inverted stomach protruding from the mouth) can live to be caught another day if anglers send them back down with a descending device -- which will be required in the Gulf of Mexico by law if the DESCEND Act becomes federal law.Jason Stemple

Today, the recreational fishing and boating community praised the Senate introduction of the DESCEND Act of 2019 by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.). Also known as the “Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2019,” the DESCEND Act would require commercial and recreational fishermen to possess a descending device rigged and ready for use or venting tool when fishing for reef fish in Gulf of Mexico federal waters.

A companion bill, H.R. 5126, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 15, by Congressmen Garret Graves (R-La.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.). For details of the DESCEND Act, refer to the recreational fishing and boating coalition’s announcement on H.R. 5126, Bipartisan Effort Drops a Lifeline to Fish Reeled Up from the Deep.

“We thank Senators Jones and Cassidy for addressing the serious issue of release mortality of Gulf reef fish,” said Blakeley Ellis, executive director of Coastal Conservation Association Alabama. “Widespread use of descending devices will serve as another tool for fisheries managers and the angling community to tackle this pervasive problem and begin to eliminate needless waste to the greatest extent possible.”

“We applaud Senators Cassidy and Jones for continuing the legacy of bipartisanship in marine fisheries policy,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “Despite the all-too-common political noise, real work is being done on Capitol Hill, and we appreciate Members of Congress from the Gulf Coast focusing on the economic and cultural importance of America’s reef fish and the future of recreational fishing.”

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