National discontent with the federal government and the need to save jobs are new forces that could help change U.S. fisheries law, advocates told a crowd of more than 3,000 fishermen gathered here Wednesday.
"The problem is the science is broken," Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., told the United We Fish rally held on Capitol Hill in support of legislation to relax a provision in the law setting an iron-clad 10-year period to rebuild specific, depleted fisheries.
Pallone has sponsored the legislation in the House (HR-1854), and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has sponsored the Senate version (S-1255).
Proponents say that the strict 10-year goals — demanded by environmental groups during the last reform of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act — are putting both recreational and commercial fishing industries out of business.