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Significant changes approved for U.S. fisheries management system E-mail
A last-minute legislative push by key Members of Congress resulted in passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, bringing an end to years of contentious negotiations. The Act is the nation’s primary marine fishery management law, and the version passed in the early morning hours Saturday contains a number of significant changes to the fisheries management system.

CCA worked closely with Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) as well as Congressmen Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Jim Saxton (R-NJ) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) to ensure the conservation ethic of the Magnuson-Stevens Act was preserved.

“CCA applauds the leadership of Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Congressmen Richard Pombo (R-CA) and Nick Rehall (D-WV) in passing this important bill,” said Fred Miller, chairman of CCA’s Government Relations Committee.

There are provisions in this bill that will simply make recreational fishing better,” said Pat Murray, vice president and director of conservation for Coastal Conservation Association. “CCA has been actively involved in negotiations on the Act, and we are pleased that several of the measures important to us throughout this process made it through intact.”

The Act adopts many of the governing principles for the creation of no-fishing zones as outlined in Freedom to Fish legislation originally crafted by CCA and the American Sportfishing Association. The new law now requires that any closed areas be based on sound science and that a review process be set to determine when and if they are no longer needed.

The Act also establishes a federal angler registry, and mandates a review and overhaul of the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey be completed and implemented by 2009. Taken together, these measures will help correct long-running problems with how recreational angling data have historically been gathered and applied in fisheries management.

Other important conservation measures include: adjustments to time frames to end overfishing; new requirements for reducing bycatch; and provisions for buyouts of overcapitalized commercial fleets. The bill also contains extensive provisions on individual fishing quotas for commercial fleets and strengthened enforcement to fight illegal international fishing.

“When dealing with legislation this extensive and complex, it is easy to lose sight of the simple fact that these provisions are designed to improve the condition of our marine resources,” said David Cummins, CCA President. “All the time and energy invested in this process resulted in a new Magnuson-Stevens Act that furthers the protection of our resources. We are encouraged that the new law will provide a solid foundation for conservation-oriented fisheries management.”

CCA is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With 90,000 members in 15 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. Visit www.JoinCCA.org for more information.

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