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Rallies With Thousands Outside US Capitol Who Support His Legislation to Change Regulations'
Washington, D.C. - Thousands of fishermen from throughout the country descended on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to rally in support of Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.'s legislation. We need to change the fishing regulations that are arbitrary, unfair and hurt local coastal economies, the congressman said after addressing the raucous crowd.
"The current regulations have done a lot of harm and the way they've been implemented by regulators is overly restrictive and unfair," said Pallone. "Fishermen have the same rights as all Americans to access our country's natural resources. We will work so that our children can continue to enjoy fishing as a pastime and our fishermen may continue to hold these jobs that have served our communities so well.
Congressman Pallone's bill, the “Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act" would bring more flexibility to the rules governing how fishing stocks are rebuilt. Under current law, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act, fisheries have two years to implement a rigid 10-year recovery plan for over fished waters. The 10-year timetable is arbitrary, has no basis in science and often results in rebuilding schedules that hurt commercial and recreational fishermen.
Pallone’s bill would still protect fisheries and require a recovery plan for reduced stocks, but it would bring more flexibility to the plan itself and how it is implemented. The timetable could be extended beyond 10 years under certain conditions, such as:
- The biology of the fishing stock would be adversely affected;
- Environmental conditions dictate a different timetable;
- The impact on commercial and recreational fishing;
- The economies of fishing communities;
If rebuilding trends, the abundance of the fish or the biomass changes and determines a revised schedule.
Congressman Pallone speaks to thousands of fisherman from along the Atlantic coast on Wednesday in Washington, DC.
“We need to take into consideration the impact the regulations have on local economies and jobs,” said Pallone.
Immediately following the rally, at a Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife oversight hearing on the President’s fiscal year 2011 budget request, Congressman Pallone questioned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials on the allocation and use of funds in carrying out its responsibilities overlooking fishing regulations.
“Time and again I have heard, as has NOAA, that better science and research is needed, but its budget priorities don’t reflect that priority,” Pallone said. “NOAA has chosen to reduce funding for science all the while increasing funding for another management tool, catch shares. Why are we increasing funding for a management tool when we don’t know what we are managing because of a lack of resources?”
“Already overly restrictive management of fisheries is hurting local coastal economies and we still don’t have all the information necessary to do it properly” Pallone added.
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