The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee is drafting "a comprehensive" change to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, a fisheries management law, in an attempt to ensure that NOAA makes "informed decisions based on sufficient scientific information," Chairman Doc Hastings has told the Times.
Incorporating elements from a suite of eight bills vetted by the committee last December, the federal legislation has been in construction by committee staff for some time — before a national fishermen's rally at the Capitol last month and an April 3 letter to the committee from 21 House members. Those signers included John Tierney, who represents Cape Ann, and Barney Frank, whose district includes New Bedford.
A mix of about two dozen federal lawmakers of both parties and houses of Congress including Sens. John Kerry and Scott Brown, spoke to the rally of the need for writing flexibility into the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Along with rewriting parts of and writing inserts to Magnuson, the committee is reported to be struggling with the problem of trying to fix misinterpretations of the overriding fisheries management law by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Crystal Feldman, the committee press secretary, said some problems with fisheries management have been created by NOAA's interpretation of the law and not necessarily by the law itself, and that is harder to fix legislatively.
“It has been made very clear at several Subcommittee hearings and the Full Committee hearing held late last year that reforms to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act are needed. Eight bills have been introduced this Congress from both Democrats and Republicans that would amend the Act to make it more efficient and transparent, and ensure that fishery managers are making informed decisions based on sufficient scientific information. We are working to incorporate these amendments into one comprehensive bill that will modify the Magnuson-Stevens Act so that fish stocks remain plentiful while jobs and the commercial and recreational industries are protected. The Committee will continue to work with Representatives, the fishing industry and local communities as we move forward with legislation to improve the Magnuson-Stevens Act.” –Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04)
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