Chairman Begich and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). My name is Eric Schwaab and I am the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. Accompanying me is Dr. Douglas DeMaster, Acting Director of Scientific Programs and Chief Science Advisor for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS.) NMFS is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. As a steward, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service conserves, protects, and manages living marine resources to ensure functioning marine ecosystems and recreational and economic opportunities for the American public.
Marine fish and fisheries, such as salmon in the Pacific Northwest and cod in New England have been vital to the prosperity and cultural identity of coastal communities in the United States for hundreds of years. As of our most recent estimate, in 2008, U.S. commercial and saltwater recreational fisheries supported 1.9 million full- and part-time jobs and generated $163 billion in sales impacts. Americans are the third largest consumers of seafood in the world and are global leaders in marine sport fishing.
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The Magnuson-Stevens Act created broad goals for U.S. fisheries management and a unique, highly participatory management structure centered on the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils). This structure ensures that input and decisions about how to manage U.S. fisheries develops through a “bottom up” process that includes fishermen, other fishery stakeholders, affected states, tribal governments, and the Federal government. The Councils are charged with developing fishery management plans to “achieve and maintain, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from each fishery.” The Councils can choose from a variety of options to manage fish stocks – quotas, catch shares, area closures, gear restrictions, etc. – and also determine how to allocate fish among user groups. These measures are submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for approval and are implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Read Eric Schwaab's entire testimony.