NEW BEDFORD — Beleaguered fishermen aren't letting the federal government off the hook with their expectations of major changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Two years after a rally brought 5,000 recreational and commercial fishermen to an outdoor venue in Washington D.C., organizers of "Keep Fishermen Fishing" are planning to do it again, with a march and rally on Capitol Hill on March 21.
Announcing the event in an email, the group said that Magnuson-Stevens "in recent years … has been transformed from its original intent, to conserve our nation's fish and support our nation's fishermen, into a weapon employed by a handful of mega-foundations."
Several members of the House and Senate, particularly the Massachusetts delegation, have called on Congress to amend Magnuson to force fishing regulators to commit to its intent, which was to replenish fish stocks while maintaining a healthy fishing industry bringing in "maximum sustainable yields."
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