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Sen. Echols urges committee to shift coastal fishery control to Georgia, proposes industry fee
Summary
Senator Echols presented Senate Bill 420 (LC443323) to transfer certain coastal fishery authority from federal management to the state, seek industry fees to support surveys and management, and codify recent DNR board rules. The committee approved a motion on the measure by voice vote; exact motion text and vote counts were not specified.
Senator Echols told the committee he is carrying Senate Bill 420 (LC443323) and framed it as a chance to return certain management and data collection for Georgia’s coastal fisheries from federal oversight to state control.
"We need to get this out of the hands of the feds," Echols said, arguing the change would allow Georgia to better measure fish populations, support an industry-led fee, and capture local economic benefits along the Atlantic coast. He noted the Gulf states have taken similar steps and described the bill as "a shot in the arm" for coastal tourism and fishing.
Echols said the bill would require annual surveys to produce better data on how many fish are available to anglers, authorize a fee the industry has requested, and include a second section of housekeeping language to codify rules the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) board has adopted over the past year. He identified the bill’s legislative counsel number as LC443323.
A committee member summarized the bill’s prior history in the legislature and noted that the governor and several legislators have previously sent letters supporting similar efforts. When asked, Echols invited the DNR commissioner or staff to brief the committee further on implementation; a request for additional staff material was made but no commissioner presentation appears in the transcript.
A committee member announced a motion on the measure; it was seconded and approved by a voice vote with members saying "aye." The transcript does not capture the exact wording of the motion or identify a mover or seconder by name.
The transcript does not record next procedural steps or an exact calendar placement for the measure after the committee voice vote.
The proposal and the committee exchange focused on three themes: returning authority closer to the state, collecting better fishery data through surveys, and enacting an industry fee to underwrite management and support local economies.
