SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh — May 22, 2015 — Florida Senator Marco Rubio has reintroduced the “Florida Fisheries Improvement Act,” a bill the Senator says improves fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic regions. However, the legislation has been criticized by some in the industry for provisions that move Gulf fishery management policy from a science-based approach in favor of more politically motivated decisions.
The legislation is the result of multiple hearings, meetings, and conversations with stakeholders from Florida, and its purpose is to begin outlining the state’s priorities for the eventual reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA).
“Florida’s fisheries are a national treasure that provide direct and indirect benefits to our local, state and national economies by feeding Americans across the country and boosting tourism in our coastal communities,” said Rubio. “While there is more work to be done, this bill would ensure necessary improvements to management and data collection are made to fully optimize our fisheries and help advance Florida’s interests when it comes time to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Major provisions of the legislation include:
Giving the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils greater flexibility in setting rebuilding timelines for fisheries;
Includes provisions to increase the availability of funding for stock assessments, surveys and data collection;
Requiring the Secretary of Commerce to create a stock assessment plan to better prioritize stock assessments and submit a report to Congress on how to improve data collection from fishermen and other stakeholders;
Increasing transparency and public involvement in the scientific and statistical committee process;
Authorizing the Councils to consider alternative management measures such as extraction rates or fishing mortality targets in fishery management plans to better reflect the different priorities of each industry;
Ensuring that nominations to the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils reflect the mixed nature of fishery stakeholders by ensuring commercial, charter and recreational fishermen are afforded the opportunity to be nominated;
Including a requirement for the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to review the allocation process every five to eight years and directs the National Academy of Sciences to work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator to assist in identifying what Councils should take into account when dealing with the allocation process;
Resolving inconsistencies between the Capital Construction Fund and Fisheries Finance Program;
Repeals Section 407(d) of MSA;
Requiring the Secretary of Commerce to make fishery disaster designations within 90 days of receiving information from the State; and
Exempting fisheries with a mean life cycle of 1.5 years or with spawning areas outside the United States, such as spiny lobster, from unnecessary rebuilding timelines.
“The Gulf Seafood Institute is very pleased to see Senator Rubio taking a bold first step at reintroducing legislation to update the Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA). The Gulf of Mexico seafood supply chain represented by GSI – fishermen, processors, retailers, restaurants and consumers – relies on a robust and workable MSA to protect access to our fisheries while also ensuring these resources are sustainable for the long term,” said Margaret Henderson, Executive Director of the Gulf Seafood Institute.
However, the Seafood Harvesters of America took issue with certain provisions in Rubio’s bill. The group, which represents a collection of industry associations and fishermen across the US, specifically addresses the bill’s fishery allocation process.
“We continue to be deeply concerned about proposals by Senator Rubio and others that would force the South Atlantic and Gulf Regional Fishery Management Councils to review allocations based on arbitrary political deadlines. Since the reallocation process itself can take up to five years to complete, the proposed mandate to revisit reallocation every five years would create the prospect of perpetual review and economic uncertainty,” the Harvesters said in a statement.
The Harvesters said they do support other aspects of Rubio’s legislation and said they plan to work with the Senator to improve the bill.
“We applaud Senator Rubio for several of his proposals that are aimed at maintaining balanced representation on the Fishery Management Councils and strengthening accountability in America’s fisheries with increased funding for stock assessments, surveys and data collection,” the Harvesters said.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.