First signed in 1976 and reauthorized twice, the Magnuson-Stevens Act is the landmark law that guides the long-term sustainable use of our ocean fish resources.
This week the House Natural Resources Committee votes on a proposed overhaul of the nation’s premier fishing law in the form of H.R. 4690, The Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act.
The Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act offers a bold and comprehensive update to the law, recommits to sustainable management, and readies our fisheries for the impacts of climate change.
Key provisions in the act include:
- Adapting our management system to the realities of climate change, targeting efforts on the most affected stocks, and requiring that managers consider climate information when making management decisions about how to keep fishing sustainable for the long-term.
- Restoring and strengthening the foundations of sustainable fishery management by addressing the growing challenge of stocks that fail to rebuild, tackling the challenges of monitoring and managing recreational fishing, focusing more effort on ecosystem considerations like habitat, forage fish, and bycatch, and supporting increasingly vulnerable fishing communities.
- Implementing long-overdue improvements to increase representation and inclusion in fishery management, particularly by recognizing subsistence fishing and giving Tribes in the North Pacific rightful representation in the Council process.
Ocean Conservancy The Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act Fact Sheet.
Learn more about this critical piece of legislation at the links below.
MFCN Supports Action on Key Federal Fisheries Policy Bill
Markup of Sustainable Fisheries Legislation Underscores Urgency of Climate Change
Alaska Democrat’s arrival signals change in fisheries debate
House gives Magnuson-Stevens new life
To learn more how you can help advocate on behalf of climate resilient fisheries check out Tomorrow’s Fish.
