ASA, Mary Jane Williamson 703.362.7350
TBF, Ellen Peel, 954.202.9267
Center, Jeff Angers, 225.931.9700
CSF, Lance Lemmonds, 202.543.6850 X19
IGFA, Jason Schratwieser, 954.927.2628
NMMA, Christine Pomorski, 202.737.9774
CCA, Ted Venker, 281.953.6614
Sportfishing Community Applauds Legislation to Improve
Federal Marine Fisheries Management SystemLegislation introduces measures to address management deficiencies and prevent precipitous, massive fisheries closures
WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 15, 2010 – Today, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced legislation designed to safeguard the strong conservation standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) while addressing a growing crisis within the federal marine fisheries management system. S.3594, the Fishery Conservation Transition Act (FCTA), will give federal marine fisheries managers the time, resources and more specific direction necessary to address the chronic deficiencies in data collection and science. Nowhere are these deficiencies more acute than in the South Atlantic where the lack of proper data exacerbated problems in the red snapper fishery and may ultimately result in a closure of all bottom fishing in a 5,000-square-mile area.
A coalition of marine recreational fishing, boating, and conservation organizations and businesses, including the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), The Billfish Foundation (TBF), the Center for Coastal Conservation (Center), the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) lauds the introduction of the FCTA and strongly supports the new bill. The coalition will continue to advocate with Members of Congress for their support of the bill and to seek additional sponsors.
Sen. Bill Nelson’s Floor statement regarding the
Fisheries Conservation Transition Act filed yesterday.
By Mr. NELSON of Florida:
S. 3594. A bill to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to mitigate the economic impact of the transition to sustainable fisheries on fishing communities, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I would like to speak about fishing, a very important special pastime and industry for the Nation. Fishing in Florida is a way of life for many. The small bait and tackle shops, the hotels, the restaurants, the charter boat captains, and the parents who want to see their children marvel when they pull a fish out of the ocean for the first time rely on being able to access the water. In fact, just last week, a Washington Post article traced the path of fish caught in the Florida Keys and off of Florida’s East Coast to a Whole Foods market here in the DC area. And sadly, the Deepwater Horizon has shown us how much healthy, high-quality seafood comes out of the Gulf of Mexico every year.
In 2007, the Congress reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Magnuson Act has certainly done some good things to ensure the long-term viability of our Nation’s fishery resources. But some of the provisions of the law have had major unintended consequences in Florida.
I have spoken before about the need for robust science on the status of our oceans and our fishery stocks. In fact, most recently, I worked with Gulf Coast Senators to get funding in the Supplemental Appropriations bill for fisheries science in the Gulf of Mexico. But despite the potential influx of dollars, fisheries data for the Southeast in particular, is still sparse. This lack of data has led to a crisis in confidence amongst many in the fishing community. Here is why.
The 2007 Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization contained a 2010 deadline to end overfishing. But the j