House Committee Advances Forward-Looking Fisheries Legislation

(WASHINGTON – Sept. 29, 2022) The House Natural Resources Committee today, with support from policymakers from coast to coast, passed H.R.4690, the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act. H.R. 4690 amends and reauthorizes the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), which governs fishing in federal waters. The MSA, enacted in 1976, established a science-based, stakeholder-driven management system that has successfully reduced overfishing and rebuilt many once-depleted fisheries to make the U.S. a world leader in fisheries management. Now, the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act builds on the core foundation of the law to strengthen the sustainability of U.S. fisheries by promoting the use of electronic technologies, incorporating climate science into management, and advancing approaches that prioritize resilience.

“We applaud the action taken by the Committee today to advance the forward-looking, inclusive legislation developed by Representatives Huffman, Case, and the House Committee on Natural Resources. Thanks to decades of hard work through the science and stakeholder-based approach under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 92% of stocks in the U.S. are not experiencing overfishing and 47 once-depleted stocks have been rebuilt. But impacts from climate change – like increasing ocean temperature that is causing fish stocks to seek cooler waters – are disrupting those advances and threatening to undo the gains we’ve made. We must act on the crisis at hand and begin adopting innovative tools and approaches like those included in the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act. Now is the time to take the next step to ensure American fisheries remain resilient in the face of climate change while continuing to be a leader in sustainable fisheries. We look forward to continuing our work with all who care about the health of our nation’s fisheries – the fishing industry, recreational anglers, fishing communities, Native nations and Indigenous peoples, conservationists, and Congress – to find innovative solutions and approaches to meet the challenges facing our fisheries.”

• Kate Bonzon, Vice President, Climate Resilient Fisheries and Oceans