Saving Seafood

U.S. Regional Fisheries Management Councils Mark 50 Years of Sustaining Fisheries and Fishing Communities Since 1976

May 20, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The nation’s eight Regional Fishery Management Councils commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Council system this week during the Council Coordinating Committee meeting in Homer, Alaska. The Council system was established by Congress through the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act signed on April 13, 1976. For five decades, the Councils have played a central role in conserving marine resources while supporting fishing communities and a vibrant U.S. seafood economy.

Since their creation, the Councils have promoted sustainable management of U.S Fisheries, in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, states, tribes, and communities. The Councils have rebuilt fish stocks, reduced bycatch, and protected essential fish habitat all while supporting sustained harvest with the goal of maximizing benefits to fishing communities and consumers. The Councils are proud to celebrate 50 years dedicated to:

Supporting Economies and Coastal Communities

Commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries are vital to coastal communities and the nation’s economy. U.S. fisheries support millions of jobs, generate billions of dollars in economic activity, and provide seafood to domestic and global markets. Recreational fishing contributes to tourism and outdoor leisure, while subsistence fisheries remain critical to food security and cultural traditions in many regions. Fisheries are more than

Rewrite of federal fisheries law navigates rough partisan waters

October 5, 2022 — There are two names that come up a lot in the Alaska fisheries world.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, named for U.S. Senators Warren G. Magnuson (D-Wash.) and Ted Stevens (R-AK), has been around since 1976 and sets the rules for federal fisheries in the U.S.

Management plans set in those waters have to stand up to the act and its national standards — for example, a plan that would’ve closed a large swath of Cook Inlet to commercial fishing was overturned earlier this year because the court said it did not comply with Magnuson.

The act has been renewed and revised twice, in 1996 and 2006. On Sept. 29, the House Natural Resources Committee passed a long-sought rewrite of the act that tightens restrictions on bycatch — which is the incidental catch of non-target species, like salmon — and calls out the threat of climate change in federal fisheries.

The resulting Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act would still need to pass Congress before taking effect. But if passed, it could have big implications for the way Alaska’s federal fisheries are managed.

“Anybody who is dependent on halibut is impacted by the language in this bill. Anybody who is dependent on salmon and interactions between salmon and pollock fishery, for example, is impacted by this bill,” said Marissa Wilson, of Homer, who directs the Alaska Marine Conservation Council.

Read the full article at KTOO

Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization steams on amid partisan shoals

September 23, 2022 — It has been 16 years since the last comprehensive update of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the overarching federal fisheries law, in 2006. The new effort, called the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act, took a major step forward this week.

Also known in Congress as H.R. 4690, the legislation went through a day-long markup session Tuesday in the House Committee on Natural Resources, to consider changes and proposed amendments. The measure is now scheduled for a final committee vote Sept. 29, clearing its way to the full House of Representatives for debate.

The bill is the result of “over three years of work and exhaustive public input,” said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., a prime sponsor of the legislation.

“Everywhere we went, we heard the foundation of Magnuson is sound,” Huffman said as the committee opened its debate in the Capitol Wednesday morning. But the onset of climate change effects on U.S. fisheries is a leading reason why the law is in dire need of updating, he said.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman