Thursday, July 12, 2018

U-S House Votes to Shed Limits on Commercial & Sport Fishing (Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy)


(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.