The Supporting Healthy Interstate Fisheries in Transition (SHIFT) Act modernizes U.S. fishery management to address ocean ecosystems that are shifting due to climate change and other environmental factors. The bill requires fishery managers to account for changes in fish distribution, abundance, and habitat when setting fishing quotas and allocations, and establishes a process for the federal government to reassign management of fish stocks that move between different regional fishing council jurisdictions. The legislation also updates rules for authorizing new fishing activities by requiring councils to review and update their lists of approved fisheries and gear at least every five years, with new fisheries permitted only after analysis shows they won't cause significant harm to marine ecosystems or existing fisheries. The bill affects commercial and recreational fisheries, fishing communities, and regional fishery councils across the Atlantic and other U.S. coastal areas. The Secretary of Commerce must report to Congress every five years on how well the changes are working to manage fisheries affected by environmental shifts.
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