Bills that weaken U.S. fishing law advance in Congress despite broad opposition
Statement from Environmental Defense Fund
(WASHINGTON – December 13, 2017) The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance two pieces of legislation (H.R. 200 and H.R. 3588) today that threaten fish populations and the people who depend on them. Departing from a 40-year tradition of building consensus around federal fisheries laws, the bills failed to attract any meaningful bipartisan support and have faced opposition from conservationists, fishermen, chefs, scientist and other groups. The following is a statement Matt Tinning, Senior Director, US Oceans Program Environmental Defense Fund.
“The Magnuson-Stevens Act is a remarkable bipartisan success story. It has fueled the recovery of America’s fisheries over the last decade, one of the great environmental achievements of our time. Unfortunately, rather than build on this progress, the House Natural Resources Committee today moved forward with a partisan mark-up that ignores the serious concerns of fishermen, chefs, scientists and conservationists.
“H.R. 200 would exempt key fisheries from science-based catch limits, undermine the recovery of depleted fish populations, take management options away from local fishery leaders, and stifle innovation by fishing communities.
“H.R. 3588 would weaken science-based catch limits in the Gulf red snapper fishery – a critical component of the current management system that has enabled quotas for recreational and commercial fishermen to more than double. We agree that management of private recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is badly broken and needs to change. We support efforts to find solutions that provide flexible access to anglers, but they must include real safeguards for conservation.”
You can find more detail on these bills here.
With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org
Media Contact
Latest press releases
-
Japan Bolsters International Effort to Cut Methane Emissions from LNG Supply Chain
June 20, 2025 -
G7 Kananaskis Wildfire Charter Boosts Global Cooperation on Wildfire
June 19, 2025 -
Trump EPA Analysis: Proposed Rollback of Power Plant Pollution Standards Will Cause Thousands of Deaths, Cost Billions of Dollars
June 17, 2025 -
California Executive Order Drives Forward Clean Air, Cost Savings, Job Creation, Innovation
June 12, 2025 -
NYPSC Approves Investments to Meet Customer Demands for Electric Buildings and Transportation in New York
June 12, 2025 -
12 Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Exemptions Allowing Coal Plants to Sidestep Mercury and Arsenic Limits
June 12, 2025