Last March, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced H.R. 1584: The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009. The bill is co-sponsored by a bi-partisan group of Members of Congress.
Although most Congressional observers do not believe this bill is likely to acheive passage in the current Congress, some activist groups are using the legislation as the focal point of current campaigns.
Co-sponsors:
Rep. John Adler [D-NJ3], Rep. Robert Andrews [D-NJ1], Rep. Timothy Bishop [D-NY1], Rep. Allen Boyd [D-FL2], Rep. Henry Brown [R-SC1], Rep. Virginia Brown-Waite [R-FL5], Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT2], Rep. Barney Frank [D-MA4], Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC3], Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D-RI1], Rep. Peter King [R-NY3], Rep. Frank LoBiondo [R-NJ2], Rep. Mike McIntyre [D-NC7], Rep. John Mica [R-FL7], Rep. Michael Michaud [D-ME2], Rep. Solomon Ortiz [D-TX27], Rep. Carol Shea-Porter [D-NH1], Rep. Clifford Stearns [R-FL6], Rep. John Tierney [D-MA6], Rep. Rob Wittman [R-VA1]
Information about the bill is available here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1584
The bill is opposed by the Pew Environmental Group:
http://www.endoverfishing.org/resources/HR1584_Factsheet_PEG.pdf
http://www.endoverfishing.org/
In June, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced the bill in the Senate as S. 1255. There are currently no Senate co-sponsors.
Information about the companion Senate bill is available here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1255
Although most Congressional observers do not believe this bill is likely to acheive passage in the current Congress, some activist groups are using the legislation as the focal point of current campaigns.
Listed below are some of the efforts of certain activist groups in opposition to this legislation.
Please contact your elected officials to express your thoughts on this bill.
Please forward this information to your colleagues, suppliers, and customers in other states, and ask them to contact their elected officials as well.
Federal elected officials may be looked up via zip code at
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
====================================
Over the Fourth of July holiday, Natalie Roy, the executive director of the Clean Water Network, with offices on Capitol Hill (218 D St. SE, Washington D.C. 20003) urged member organizations to sign onto a Pew Environmental Group letter asking Senators not to co-sponsor Senator Schumer’s legislation. The contact person for Pew’s effort is Kristen Cevoli (kcevoli@pewtrusts.org, 215-575-4790)
The text of the letter follows:
==========
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515
RE: Oppose S. 1255, The Flexibility in Rebuilding American
Fisheries Act of 2009
Dear Senator,
Our nation’s marine fisheries provide sustenance and income for
millions of Americans and are renewable resources if well managed.
Unfortunately, recently introduced legislation, S. 1255, threatens
the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of these fish
populations by giving managers the "flexibility" to avoid tough
but necessary decisions. We the undersigned leaders in the
conservation community urge you not to cosponsor this misguided
legislation.
After decades of mismanagement that led to costly declines in fish
populations and the fishing communities that depend on them,
Congress unanimously reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) in 2006. MSA is the premier
law governing management of federal ocean fisheries. In it,
Congress established clear requirements to end overfishing and
rebuild depleted fish populations to healthy levels in as short a
time as possible depending on the species’ biology.
Discredited arguments for weakening the MSA and delaying
rebuilding have resurfaced in S. 1255, The Flexibility in
Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009. This bill would
drastically weaken the rebuilding provisions of the MSA by
allowing fisheries managers to place short-term economics in front
of the long-term needs of our ocean fish populations and delay
indefinitely critical rebuilding actions. Moreover, and contrary
to the explicit intent of Congress in the 2006 MSA
reauthorization, the bill would allow the overexploitation of our
most vulnerable fish populations.
Historical experience – along with scientific and economic studies
– demonstrate that delaying rebuilding fish stocks increases
fishing pressure on vulnerable fish populations and ecosystems.
This pressure threatens the ability of stocks to rebuild, and
delays the economic benefits of healthy fish populations and
marine ecosystems that coastal communities depend on. For these
reasons, we urge you to not cosponsor S. 1255.
===========
This week, the Blue Ocean Institute circulated this call to action:
===========
NY Action Alert!
Sen. Schumer Bill Threatens Ocean Fish
Dear Fellow New Yorker:
In 2006, with broad public support, Congress passed a law that requires federal fishery managers to end overfishing by 2011 and strengthened requirements to rebuild depleted fish populations to healthy levels. Conservation measures in the Mid-Atlantic have helped end 20 years of overfishing on summer flounder and successfully rebuilt bluefish populations.
Unfortunately NY Senator Charles Schumer recently introduced a bill that would severely weaken the law by creating new loopholes, extending rebuilding deadlines and allowing federal fishery managers to put short-term economic gains ahead of the long term health of the fish populations and all that depends upon them.
We need NY groups and individuals to weigh in now and tell Senator Schumer that his constituents oppose this shortsighted bill.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Shortsighted_Schumer/explanation
Please contact Senator Schumer today!
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Shortsighted_Schumer
Need inspiration to help personalize your message?
Blue Ocean President, Dr. Carl Safina spoke out against the bill in an op-ed entitled, Will there always be another fish in the sea that appeared in Newsday July 9, 2009. To read the full piece click here:
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opsaf1012955895jul09,0,4827765.story
Founded in 2003, Blue Ocean Institute uses science, art, and literature to inspire a closer connection with the sea.
www.blueocean.org
www.blueoceannotes.wordpress.com
www.carlsafina.wordpress.com