Freshman Congressman Jon Runyan has proposed alterations to the landmark federal law that governs the management of fisheries.
Runyan, R-3rd of Mount Laurel, wants the 35-year-old Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to be amended so that Jersey Shore businesses such as party and charter boats, bait shops and commercial fleets that rely on the ocean fisheries aren't unfairly harmed by some decisions to close or alter their catch limits.
The catch limits affect the number and size of fish that can be caught offshore as well as the season for keeping certain species. Fishing advocates have long complained that the limits are often based on faulty science and that plans to rebuild threatened stocks aren't flexible enough.
"The fishing industry is a vital economic engine behind many of Ocean County's coastal communities. Without it, many of these communities cannot survive," Runyan said last week. "This bill adds common-sense reforms to Magnuson-Stevens by increasing accountability and transparency in fisheries management."
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