Despite recent tweaks, New England fishermen want more changes in law

In October of 2016 NOAA made changes to NS1, which aims to prevent overfishing while achieving the optimum yield from each fishery. Changes were first proposed in January 2015, and the final rule passed in October 2016 giving regional councils more latitude to set catch limits, a change that was opposed by environmental groups.  Fishermen, particularly on the US east coast, have been critical for several years of what they say are rigid timelines that give regulators ten years to rebuild stocks deemed overfished. Conservation groups, on the other hand, see the added flexibility as a weakening of Magnuson-Stevens that undermines the stringent standards that brought many fisheries back to health. Read the story here 12:01

The Magnuson Stevens Act and its Ten Year Rebuilding Timeline: Science or Fiction by Meghan Lapp Click here to read this white paper

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