NationofChange
We disrespect the Earthâs oceans at our own peril.
, a project of the Independent Media Institute.
There is one main U.S. law that governs the management of marine fisheries in federal waters: The MagnusonâStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Originally intended to address the concern over foreign fisheries operating near U.S. waters, the MSA, which was passed in 1976, extended the nationâs exclusive fisheries zone from 12 to 200 nautical miles from the coastline. The law was amended in 1996 and 2007 to prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, establish annual catch limits, put accountability measures in place, strengthen the use of science through peer review, and ensure the overall sustainability of the fishing industry.
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2020
Seamounts Marine National Monument collage. Credits: Claudine Hellmuth/E&E News(illustration & map); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(photos); U.S. Supreme Court(text)
Commercial fishing groups have been fighting the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument since it was first proposed by the Obama administration. The Supreme Court may be their last hope. Claudine Hellmuth/E&E News(illustration & map); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(photos); U.S. Supreme Court(text)
When Grant Moore first started lobstering, he thought of the ocean as a vast expanse with an endless supply of marine life ripe for the catching.