Committee Advances Fisheries Bill to Recognize Climate Impacts for the First Time, Strengthen Resilience for Coastal Communities
Five leading ocean conservation organizations praise Reps. Huffman, Case, and Peltola’s leadership to update U.S. fishing laws
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a group of five leading ocean conservation organizations applauded the House Natural Resources Committee passage of the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which is the law that governs fishing in U.S. ocean waters.
The bill, co-led by U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, Ed Case (HI-01), and Mary Peltola (AK-At Large) makes important improvements to conserve and sustainably manage fisheries, adapt to climate change, and support coastal communities.
“While the Magnuson-Stevens Act is one of the most important tools for conserving U.S. fisheries, it has not been updated since 2007 and does not currently mention climate change. The Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act takes major steps to ensure fisheries and coastal communities are resilient in the face of the climate crisis.
“From warming waters, to declining fish populations, our fisheries and the economies they sustain are up against significant threats to their future viability. This legislation provides new science-based tools to strengthen core conservation provisions and sustainable management so that communities can count on having resilient and abundant fisheries for years to come.
“We appreciate Reps. Huffman, Case, and Peltola’s strong leadership and commitment to prioritizing these much-needed improvements.”
In addition to Reps. Huffman, Case, and Peltola, the bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), and Andy Levin (MI-09).
About the Groups:
The five ocean conservation organizations include Earthjustice, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ocean Conservancy, and Oceana. These groups have worked closely together for over a decade to protect and advance conservation gains in U.S. marine fisheries policy and management.
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.