July 22, 2015 — The United States’ status as a global leader in preventing overfishing and in rebuilding depleted populations of ocean fish is in jeopardy from an unexpected source: the U.S. House of Representatives.
Last month, the House passed H.R. 1335 to reauthorize and amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law that governs management of U.S. ocean fish. The law was originally enacted in 1976 and was most recently reauthorized in 1996 and 2006, passing with overwhelming bipartisan support following reasonable compromises made in the long–term interests of U.S. fishermen and the health of fish populations.
But this bill is different.
Crafted and passed without that historic bipartisanship, the bill significantly weakens the Magnuson-Stevens Act. If enacted, it would immediately jeopardize ongoing efforts to rebuild vulnerable fish populations.
This legislation comes at a time when the U.S. marine environment faces a variety of significant threats, including habitat destruction, pollution and changing conditions such as warming ocean temperatures. These pressures harm fish and wildlife populations and they weaken the economy of coastal communities and affect the fishermen who reside in them. Rather than include measures and resources to help fishery managers confront these challenges, the bill undermines key conservation requirements currently in place.
Read the full opinion piece at The Hill