New Overfishing Guidelines Raise the Bar for Fishery Managers |
But Public Oversight and Leadership by the National Marine Fisheries Service Will Be Crucial for Compliance
Washington D.C. 16 January 2009 – Today, nearly two years after announcing its intent to do so, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a final rule modifying the regulatory guidance for National Standard 1 (NS1) of the nation’s fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). NS1 states that fishery managers must prevent overfishing while achieving optimum yield, and the new rules are intended to guide managers in setting fishing levels that comply with these objectives.
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Job Announcement - Media Specialist |
January 8, 2009 - The Marine Fish Conservation Network (Network) is seeking a Media Specialist to work from its Washington, DC office, managing all aspects of the Network’s media efforts focused on sustainable fisheries, fish populations and marine ecosystems. This position offers an excellent opportunity to work first hand with national and regional media, Congress, and national and regional conservation organizations. The Network is a coalition of almost 200 national, regional, and local environmental organizations, recreational and commercial fishing groups, aquariums, and marine science groups dedicated to marine fish conservation and committed to long-term sustainability of U.S. fisheries. The position will be filled as soon as possible.
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Bush Admin. Withdraws Proposed Regulations Overhauling Environmental Review of U.S. Fisheries |
Washington D.C., December 19, 2008 – In a move hailed by ocean conservation groups, the Bush Administration has decided to withdraw a controversial proposed rule that would have overhauled the environmental review of activities approved by U.S. fisheries managers under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). Many environmental and fishing groups feared that the proposed changes in the rules for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) would set a bad precedent for other federal resource agencies seeking to shield their actions from public environmental review, and critics saw it as one more example of how the Bush Administration has attempted to weaken federal agency compliance with the nation’s premier environmental laws.
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Lubchenco Will Helm National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
(Posted 12-19-08) President-elect Barack Obama has tapped
Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, one of the nation's most
prominent marine biologists, to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Lubchenco, a conservationist who has devoted much of her
career to encouraging scientists to become more engaged in public policy
debates, is also a vocal proponent of curbing greenhouse gases linked to global
warming. The transition team could not be reached for comment, but several
sources confirmed today that Lubchenco had been picked and was headed to Chicago
for the upcoming announcement.
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