As the new home of WashPIRG's environmental work, Environment Washington can be contacted regarding this news release.
SEATTLE—In a proposed
rule issued today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
announced its plans to open the nation's oceans to overfishing with impunity.
If this rule becomes law, the overfishing standard, a fundamental conservation
measure, will be stripped of its ability to protect the nation's fish populations
and the ocean ecosystems of which they are a part.
The overfishing standard
is the cornerstone of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act of 1976, the principle law governing the nation's fisheries. This standard,
essential for responsible fishery management, is accompanied by a set of regulatory
guidelines that provide the details necessary to implement the standard. The
overfishing standard and its guidelines are designed to prevent fish populations
from collapsing.
"If implemented, these
proposed changes will set up a domino effect that will eventually impact everyone
from recreational anglers to seafood lovers across the country," said Robert
Pregulman, Executive Director of WashPIRG. "These safeguards are in place
for a reason and they should not be watered down."
The agency's proposed changes
would weaken the standard by:
- explicitly allowing overfishing on already depleted fish populations
- lengthening allowable timeframes for rebuilding fish populations
- allowing fishery managers to ignore scientific recommendations
- valuing commerce over conservation
The Magnuson-Stevens Act
specifically identifies conservation as its priority, and the presidentially-appointed
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy highlighted overfishing as one of the many threats
to the nation's oceans.
The changes to the overfishing
standard come at a critical time. Within the next few weeks, Congress is expected
to begin the process to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act. If NOAA successfully
implements its proposed changes to the overfishing standard, those changes will
become incorporated into the new version of the Magnuson-Stevens bill about
to be reviewed. Since federal policy makers will not be looking for such subtle
changes to guidelines implementing one of the national standards, NOAA's proposed
changes will most likely go un-noticed. Those seemingly small changes, however,
could lead to the collapse of wild fish populations and hundreds of thousands
of lost jobs for the nation's fishermen.
"The writing's on the
wall," continued Pregulman. "When it comes to managing the nation's
wild fish stocks, NOAA has decided to throw in the towel. The agency isn't just
giving up on the fisheries it's supposed to protect; the agency is giving up
on the nation's fishermen."
The announcement of NOAA's
proposed changes to the overfishing standard come out just two weeks after the
agency unveiled its plans to establish industrial-styled fish farms throughout
the nation's open oceans.
A 60-day public comment
period begins today. During this time, ocean enthusiasts and interested stakeholders
are encouraged to go to www.oceanleagcy.org where they can easily submit comments
and express their concerns regarding the proposed changes.
