The NRDC strongly opposes Congressman Rob Wittman's (R-VA) legislation entitled the “Fisheries Science Improvement Act of 2011” (H.R. 2304).
According to the NRDC "claims by proponents of H.R. 2304 that catch limits cannot be set for fish species that have not recently had full stock assessments are flat out wrong. All fish species managed under the MSA have some data – such as catch history, fishing effort over time, and/or life history characteristics – that scientists have shown are suitable for setting scientifically-sound catch limits. This bill disregards these methods and their use to date by fishery managers around the country. Furthermore, this bill creates a perverse incentive not to expand the use of stock assessments. By subjecting these stocks to a lower standard of management, H.R. 2304 could actually reduce the likelihood that managers gather additional data that improves fisheries science for many important marine fish species."
Read the complete article from the NRDC.