How fishery sensitive is the ReSCUE Oceans Act?

The Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans (ReSCUE Oceans) Act was introduced first in December 2024 and again in February 2026 (with minor changes) as S.3910 by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and as H.R.7656 by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). If enacted, the Act would promote federally coordinated research related to marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) through grants programs, interagency coordination, and the establishment of mCDR research areas overseen by area-specific advisory panels. 

As people who depend on and cherish marine ecosystems, commercial fishermen have been strong advocates for understanding mCDR’s impacts to marine life and coastal communities prior to large-scale interventions. Naturally, fishermen want to know: What is the ReSCUE Oceans Act, and how “fishery sensitive” is it?

This first part of this policy brief endeavors to answer those questions. The second part enumerates possible ways that the Act could be improved.