Remarkable things can happen when key stakeholders and leaders in Washington find common ground for a common good. An excellent case in point is the congressional effort to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, a landmark conservation measure signed into law by President George W. Bush five years ago this January.
In the mid-2000s, we had arrived at a point where our marine fisheries management system just wasn't working in many parts of the country. The clock was ticking to reform our nation's primary law for governing U.S. ocean fish. Disputes among main constituencies were many, but one thing was clear to virtually all – business as usual was no longer an option.
With numerous vital commercial and recreational fish stocks severely depleted, action was needed to help them recover and prevent others from facing the same fate. Everyone knew the way forward wouldn't be easy, but something had to be done.
A coalition came together at the last minute to pass the legislation. With vital support from the White House, the group spanned traditional partisan lines and included leaders from conservation as well as the commercial and recreational fishing communities.
Read the complete opinion piece in The Kansas City Star