For 50 years, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) has been the primary law that governs marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters. A hallmark of cooperation, bipartisanship, and science-based management; its successes cannot be understated. Since 2000, more than 50 fish stocks have been rebuilt, and hundreds of regionally important stocks — such as Atlantic sea scallops and Pacific widow rockfish — are caught today more responsibly thanks to management measures instituted under the MSA.
Fisheries management is critical to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks, increase long-term economic and social benefits, and protect critical habitat where fish spawn, feed, and grow to maturity while providing food to eat and supporting coastal economies.
But the success of this law is at risk. Last year, the President's budget included massive cuts to NOAA's staff and resources. While Congress rejected most of these cuts, the chronic underfunding of the agency has left it without enough resources to fully implement this law.
But Congress can step in once again to ensure that fisheries managers have the resources they need to end overfishing, protect habitat and wildlife and rebuild fisheries.
That’s why Oceana campaigns for responsible fisheries management so that the communities that rely on healthy, abundant oceans can thrive for generations to come. Join us in calling on our elected officials to #KeepOceansFishy!