September 11, 2013 — WASHINGTON — Environmental groups, the fishing industry and government agencies don't often see eye to eye, but they agree the federal law regulating fishing off America's coasts has contributed to an extraordinary rebound in marine life during the past decade.
As Congress prepares to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act, the question is whether to ease some restrictions that have helped nurse once-endangered fish populations back to healthier levels but are criticized as overly protective by recreational fishermen.
Rep. Doc Hastings, the Washington state Republican who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, said fishery managers should have additional latitude when setting commercial and recreational catch limits, which are key to the health of the nation's multi-billion-dollar fishing industry.
“At a time when fisheries jobs and the economic activity they create are critical to keeping our coastal communities alive, it is important that we ensure the laws and regulations that govern these activities are not unnecessarily rigid,” he said during a Wednesday hearing on renewing the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
But Chris Dorsett with the Ocean Conservancy cautioned against weakening a law he says has been key to restoring internationally important ecosystems.
“Going forward, we need ideas for better management, not loopholes that undo recent successes,” he said. “Once fish stocks are depleted, there are limited options for minimizing the inevitable pain of cutting back on fishing and rebuilding populations.”
Read the full story at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review