An Assembly Resolution urging the Congress and President of the United States to reauthorize and amend the "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act," to allow for greater flexibility in fisheries management.

Whereas, The nation's fisheries are a valuable and renewable natural resource, providing nutritious seafood to consumers, income to fishing families, and recreational opportunities to millions of anglers; and

Whereas, Fishing also plays an important role in the United States economy, with over 9.9 billion pounds of seafood harvested in 2011, valued at an estimated $5.3 billion; and

Whereas, In 2011, the commercial fishing industry generated $129 billion in sales impacts and supported 1.2 million jobs, while recreational fishing generated $70 billion in sales impacts and supported 455,000 jobs; and

Whereas, The "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act" (MSA) is the primary law governing fisheries in United States federal waters; and

Whereas, The law, which was first passed in 1976, and reauthorized in 1996 and 2007, was created in response to widespread overfishing and habitat destruction that threatened the survival of many of the nation's iconic fish, like the Alaskan Salmon and Red Snapper; and

Whereas, Prior to the MSA, coastal communities that were dependent on fishing were badly damaged by overfishing, and the activities of massive foreign fishing fleets contributed to this damage; and

Whereas, The MSA requires that fisheries meet 10 national management standards, which work to sustain the fisheries, ensure conservation, and facilitate long-term protection of essential fish habitats; and

Whereas, The MSA also extended the United States exclusive economic zone out to 200 miles and eliminated competition from foreign fishing fleets; and

Whereas, The MSA established an innovative public-private management system composed of eight regional councils, which govern the fisheries according to each region's unique economic, environmental, and social needs; and

Whereas, The councils set operation requirements for each fishery, including harvest limits based on stock assessments, to ensure that fisheries are not being overfished, and that enough fish are left in the ocean to keep the ecosystem healthy; and

Whereas, Although the MSA has been highly successful at rebuilding the nation's depleted fish stocks and preventing overfishing, inflexibility in the law has had adverse effects on coastal economies; and

Whereas, In 1996, Congress amended the MSA to require that overfished stocks be rebuilt in as short a time period as possible, not to exceed 10 years, with limited exceptions; and

Whereas, These rebuilding plans usually require drastic restrictions on harvest limits and fishing seasons, imposing significant costs on coastal fishermen, families, and communities that rely on fishing activities; and

Whereas, For instance, in 2013, New England fishermen faced a 61 percent reduction in Georges Bank cod and an 80 percent reduction in Gulf of Maine cod harvest limits, impeding the local fishing economies; and

Whereas, The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recently reduced the 2014 recreational fishing season for red snapper, a staple fish in the Gulf, to just 11 days, despite the fact that scientists are reporting large increases in the red snapper population; and

Whereas, The MSA's requirement to rebuild stocks within an arbitrary 10-year time period precludes the regional councils from considering important social and economic impacts, and inflicts unnecessary harm on coastal economies; and

Whereas, Providing the regional councils with flexibility in setting rebuilding timelines will ensure conservation and allow for greater access to healthy stocks of fish, thereby minimizing the adverse economic impacts of rebuilding; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House urges the Congress and President of the United States to reauthorize and amend the "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act," to allow for greater flexibility in fisheries management.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

STATEMENT

This resolution would urge the Congress and President of the United States to reauthorize and amend the "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act," to allow for greater flexibility in fisheries management.

The nation's fisheries are a valuable and renewable natural resource, providing nutritious seafood to consumers, income to fishing families, and recreational opportunities to millions of anglers. Fishing also plays an important role in the U.S. economy, with over 9.9 billion pounds of seafood harvested in 2011, valued at an estimated $5.3 billion. The nation's fisheries are governed primarily by the "Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act" (MSA). The law, which first passed in 1976, and was reauthorized in 1996 and 2007, was created in response to widespread overfishing and habitat destruction that threatened the survival of many of the nation's iconic fish.

The MSA requires that fisheries meet 10 national management standards, which work to sustain the fisheries, ensure conservation, and facilitate long-term protection of essential fish habitats. The MSA also established an innovative public-private management system composed of eight regional councils, which govern the fisheries according to each region's unique economic, environmental, and social needs. The councils set operation requirements for each fishery, including harvest limits based on stock assessments, to ensure that fisheries are not being overfished, and that enough fish are left in the ocean to keep the ecosystem healthy.

Although the MSA has been highly successful at rebuilding depleted fish stocks and preventing overfishing, inflexibility in the law has had adverse economic effects on coastal economies. In 1996, Congress amended the MSA to require that overfished stocks be rebuilt in as short a time period as possible, not to exceed 10 years. These rebuilding plans usually require drastic restrictions on harvest limits and fishing seasons, imposing significant costs on coastal communities. This arbitrary 10-year rebuilding requirement precludes the regional councils from considering important social and economic impacts on fishermen. Providing regional councils with flexibility in setting rebuilding timelines will ensure conservation and allow for greater access to healthy stocks.