(WASHINGTON, DC) – The House voted
to open up U.S. fisheries to more commercial and sport fishing on
Wednesday.
The House passed the Strengthening Fishing Communities and
Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act by a 222-193 vote.
Eliminates ‘unscientific’ conservation limits: The bill
would open up U.S. coastal waters to more fishing by reducing "unscientific"
conservation limits and quotas on the amount of fish caught annually.
The bill "eliminates unscientific timeframes to rebuild
fish stocks," which "unnecessarily restrict access to
fisheries," according to a summary of the bill.
Reauthorizes the fisheries law: The bill introduced by Rep.
Don Young, R-Alaska, reauthorizes, while modernizing, the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
which is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in U.S. federal
waters.
The bill provides greater regional flexibility, tailored
management practices, and improved data collection for all U.S. federal
fisheries off the coasts of most ocean-adjoining states.
