“According to a Congress Strengthens Fisheries Law recent economic analysis [by E2], the E2’s Fish Economics Report Helps Turn the Tide value of this nation’s Though the silent collapse of our nation’s fisheries had been fishery resources increasingly well documented for years, powerful members of would be nearly three Congress opposed rules to rebuild those depleted fisheries and times its current end overfishing. E2’s Fish Economics Report re-framed the value if Councils debate and led to a legislative victory that will improve dedicated their America’s fisheries. efforts to rebuilding stocks rather than A Bill that’s Good for Fish and Fishermen allowing overfishing In January 2007 the President signed a landmark bill to help to continue.” protect and restore our nation's fisheries. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act: -Congressman Nick J. Rahall, Chair, House • Requires an end to overfishing Natural Resources • Mandates that science – not politics – dictates how many fish Committee can be caught and calls for a system of accountability to ensure that those limits are not ignored • Strengthens penalties for illegal fishing in international waters • Provides incentives for conservation Situation: A Perilous Strong Opposition to New Decline in Fish Populations Regulations The decline in our fisheries is In early 2006 some members clear. Independent reports from of Congress and regulators the Pew Oceans Commission were pushing to soften and the U.S. Commission on protections for U.S. fisheries. Ocean Policy have documented They wanted to weaken the the pollution, overfishing and requirement to rebuild habitat destruction that are depleted fish populations, pushing our oceans toward a undercut support for marine silent collapse. Over 1/3 of our sanctuaries and bypass nation’s fish stocks are at standard environmental dangerously low levels. review procedures. Turning the Tide on our Nation’s Fisheries E2 Strategy: Fish Battle in the House Economics Committee on Resources In 2005, E2 commissioned a While the Senate passed a report from independent strong bill with bi-partisan economists to study the support, the House debated economic impact of rebuilding removing many of the depleted fish populations. The protections the Senate bill report showed that by simply embraced. E2 followed up with enforcing the rebuilding a campaign of letters and requirements already on the phone calls. In New England, books, fishing would be three the home of several key House times more profitable. members, E2 held in-district meetings with members and their staffs. A Visit With Key Members of Congress The Result: A Positive Bill Armed with the report, an E2 delegation – including Paul In the waning hours of the Sellew, whose family had 109th Congress, a bill passed been in the fishing industry for that takes a critical step four generations and Lisa forward in protecting and Suatoni, co-author of the restoring our nation's oceans. report – met with key The E2 Fish Economics members of Congress and Report was cited by their staffs. Our members congressional staff and made a persuasive economic members as evidence of the argument in favor of fisheries economic upside to improving restoration. management of our fisheries. For more information about E2, please write to [email protected] or call (415) 875-6100. .