US Senate votes to reauthorize fisheries management bill.......
 

impacts recreational fishermen indirectly.........

Senate Votes to Reauthorize Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Bill

(June 19, 2006 - Washington, DC) Under the leadership of Senators
Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Daniel Inouye (D-HI), the Senate unanimously
voted today to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (MSA), which governs fishery management activities
within the federal 200-mile limit. The bill maintains current
protections and advances conservation incentives, including limited
access privilege programs (LAPPs), key management tools that can make
our fisheries more sustainable and profitable.

"Environmental Defense commends the Senate for working actively with
fishermen and the conservation community to design a bill that improves
fishery management," said Environmental Defense Oceans Program Director
David Festa. "This bill will help lead to economically viable fishing
communities, better recreational opportunities and supplies of fresh
seafood."

LAPPs - catch shares - have proven to be environmentally and
economically effective in Alaska, British Columbia and other regions
around the world. Under this system, fishermen are allocated shares of
the annual catch, which they can buy and sell with other fishermen.
Unlike government mandates limiting fishermen's flexibility, catch
shares allow fishermen to work year-round when market and weather
conditions are most advantageous. Catch shares help fishermen cut
costs, improve the quality of their fish, maximize dockside prices and
prevent the waste of millions of fish each year that must be discarded.
Just as shares of a company become more valuable if the company is
well-managed, fishermen's shares gain value when fish populations
increase through a well managed fishery. The fishermen now have a
financial interest in conservation measures that protect the ocean.

Despite their advantages, catch shares are not magic bullets. They
need to be implemented in the context of strong conservation goals and
standards to ensure fairness and public input to the design process.
The Senate has put together a catch shares package that fishermen and
conservationists alike can support.

"The recent U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy recommended catch shares as
a key management tool. And, in September, the Administration
explicitly called for doubling the existing number of these programs,"
said Environmental Defense Oceans Policy Specialist Amanda Leland.
"With the Senate passing this bill by unanimous consent, clearly there
is broad political support for these programs."

The bill also:
Maintains current protections that help curb overfishing and restore
fish stocks;
Integrates the National Environmental Policy Act with Magnuson-Stevens
in a manner that maintains public participation and allows
consideration of alternative proposals;
Establishes fishery catch limits - a maximum number of fish allowed
to be caught within a certain timeframe, with a system of
accountability, a key tool in maintaining and restoring healthy fish
populations;
Improves recreational fisheries data to better inform decision-making;
and
Creates a fund for improving investment in fisheries conservation and
management.

"Now that the Senate has unanimously passed a good bill, it's time for
leaders in the House to grab the helm and work together as the Senate
did to navigate us to an improved and broadly-supported House bill --
one that maintains current protections and provides conservation and
economic tools that offer incentives to protect our fisheries," said
Leland.

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Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization,
represents more than 400,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense
has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector
partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious
environmental problems.

www.environmentaldefense.org
www.oceansalive.org
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