U.S. Senate Advances “Modern Fish Act”

(WASHINGTON – December 17, 2018) Recreational fishing legislation known as the “Modern Fish Act,” advanced through the Senate today by unanimous consent. Advocates from the recreational, commercial, charter/for-hire, and restaurant sectors, as well as many environmental groups, spent more than a year hammering out important compromise language that maintains key components of the current fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA).

The following is a statement from Matt Tinning, Associate Vice President, Oceans Program:

“Throughout the negotiations we have insisted that any modification to the Magnuson-Stevens Act maintain the core elements that have made U.S. fisheries a global model of success: clear, science-based conservation standards and a variety of tools for regional fisheries management councils to apply in ways that meet local needs. We can all be proud to have reached agreement on a bill that responds to the demands of recreational fishing advocates without jeopardizing either sustainability or Americans’ access to local seafood. We deeply appreciate the hard work by Senators, staff, and stakeholders to secure that outcome in the Senate.

“This has been a tremendous year of progress on recreational fishing issues, driven by innovative thinking at the regional level. The successful start of pilots testing state management of private anglers in the Gulf of Mexico and approval of new data collection systems represent important milestones for fisheries management in this country. We look forward to working under the legislation advanced today by the Senate, if it is enacted, to ensure that sustainable access to fisheries is maintained both for anglers who fish themselves and for the rest of the country that relies on commercial fishermen to access federal fishery resources.

“As we move into a new Congress, EDF will continue to work collaboratively and in good faith with all stakeholders at the regional level and in Washington, D.C. to ensure that U.S. fisheries management remains effective, flexible, and a global model of success.”