Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M600

Reps. Huffman and Case introduce bill to reauthorize nation's primary fishing law

by American Sportfishing Association 29 Jul 2021 14:35 UTC
Reps. Huffman and Case introduce bill to reauthorize nation's primary fishing law © huffman.house.gov

Yesterday, Congressmen Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) introduced the Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), America's primary law governing marine fisheries.

MSA has not been reauthorized since 2006. The recreational fishing community commends Reps. Huffman and Case for their thorough approach to drafting the legislation, which included stakeholder roundtables on each coast and the invitation to stakeholders to provide input on the discussion draft of the bill.

"While MSA has made significant strides in ending overfishing and rebuilding depleted fish stocks, Congress must build upon the progress of the Modern Fish Act to better recognize in MSA the importance of saltwater recreational fishing to the nation," said Mike Leonard, vice president of government affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. "We thank Reps. Huffman and Case for incorporating much of the input we provided on their earlier discussion draft. We will remain vigilant in advocating for an MSA reauthorization that advances much-needed recreational fisheries management and conservation improvements."

"We appreciate Congressman Huffman's thoughtfulness in gathering input from all marine fishing stakeholders when drafting the Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act," said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. "A reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is long overdue, and we look forward to working with Members from both sides of the aisle to recognize the contributions of the recreational sector to the Blue Economy and to the conservation of America's public marine resources."

"Congressman Huffman's thorough process in engaging stakeholders prior to and during the development of this legislation should be commended," said Chris Horton, senior director of fisheries policy for the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. "While we think there are areas where the bill could be strengthened for the benefit of recreational fisheries, it represents a good starting point to begin the process of reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act and building upon recent improvements by the Modern Fish Act."

A focus of the recreational fishing and boating community has been the enforcement of the Modern Fish Act, which became law in December 2018. The Modern Fish Act adds more appropriate management tools for policymakers to use in managing federal recreational fisheries. The recreational fishing community looks forward to working with bi-partisan Members of Congress to build on the successes of MSA and improve the law where it is weak.

Saltwater recreational fishing is more than a passion for millions of Americans. According to the latest data from NOAA Fisheries, 9.2 million saltwater recreational anglers support 487,024 jobs throughout the United States and contribute $74 billion to the economy annually. Furthermore, anglers and boaters contribute hundreds of millions of dollars annually to conservation and habitat restoration efforts through excise taxes and licensing fees.

Related Articles

Sportfishing industry applauds decision by NOAA
Elimination of proposed South Atlantic bottomfishing closure The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries withdrew the proposed bottomfishing closure from Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic. Posted on 10 Jun
NOAA reduces Atlantic bluefin tuna retention limit
The adjusted limits will take effect June 3, 2025 and extend through December 31, 2025 On May 29, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced adjustments to the Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limits for recreational anglers. Posted on 3 Jun
Delegation urges state control of red snapper
Expressing "strong support for a state-led framework to ensure science-based stewardship" South Carolina's congressional delegation, led by Congressman Russell Fry and joined by U.S. Senators, formally urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to transfer management of the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery to the states. Posted on 2 Jun
Priority sportfishing legislation introduced
The bill would help level the playing field for U.S.-based companies Last week, Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act. Posted on 13 May
ASA supports season changes for Chesapeake Bay
The new plan aims to reduce regulatory complexity, improve angler access during cooler months Maryland has submitted a proposal to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to simplify and update the Chesapeake Bay recreational striped bass fishing seasons. Posted on 6 May
Florida announces longest Gulf Red Snapper Season
Opening on Memorial Day Weekend, then reopening from June 1st-July 31st This morning, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the dates for Florida's Gulf Red Snapper recreational season, marking the longest red snapper season in the history of state management. Posted on 29 Apr
Canada imposes 25% Tariff on U.S. Fishing Products
Including fishing rods, hooks, nets, lines, and other tackle Effective March 13, 2025, the Government of Canada is imposing 25 percent tariffs on $29.8 billion in products imported from the U.S., including fishing rods, hooks, nets, lines, and other tackle. Posted on 17 Mar
ASA releases new online Trade & Commerce Hub
Dedicated information for decisions which impact the sportfishing industry Given the rapid developments on trade, tariffs and commerce from the Trump administration, ASA has released our new trade and commerce webpage. Posted on 11 Mar
Speak up for Florida Recreational Fishing Access
NOAA will hear from stakeholders at two public events Next week, NOAA will hear from stakeholders at two public events in Florida on their proposed bottomfishing closure off the Northeast coast of Florida. Posted on 19 Feb
Sportfishing industry tracking trade developments
President Trump announced various tariff actions on Canada, Mexico and China Over the past week, President Trump announced various tariff actions on Canada, Mexico and China. Posted on 11 Feb
Maritimo M75Palm Beach Motor Yachts