MSA Reauthorization Veers From Core Principles After House Committee Vote; Would Allow Overfishing
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Peggy Parker - December 19, 2017
After last week’s House mark up and approval of two bills involved in MSA reauthorization, the Act is closer to being made weaker and less precise.
By changing words like “to the extent possible” to “to the extent practical” when rebuilding stocks, ignoring annual catch limits, mandating state authority to supersede federal in some cases, and including extending state waters out to the EEZ by 9 miles, MSA’s core principles are being eroded.
Principles like preventing overfishing, using sound science to monitor stocks, rebuilding stocks over more than ten years, and minimizing bycatch, have been removed or de-emphasized in both bills, which passed the House Natural Resources Committee on a strictly partisan vote.
The bills passed without the compromise amendment offered by minority member Jared Huffman (D-CA).
Alaska’s Don Young was not happy about the lack of compromise....
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