WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), in his role as President Pro Tempore of the Senate, signed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act at an enrollment ceremony held today in the United States Capitol. Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) joined Senator Stevens at the event.

 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act, H.R. 5946, passed the House on December 9, 2006 after clearing the Senate by unanimous consent on December 7. Legislation passed by the House and Senate must be enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate before being sent to the President for his signature and final approval into law.

 

“I think this bill will make available to regional councils throughout the country the powers that we slowly, but surely, gave to the North Pacific Regional Council,” said Senator Stevens. “They have proven that these powers assist in protecting fisheries off the shores of Alaska. There are no threatened or endangered species that are commercially fished. We think that our council has proven that it has the ability to manage fisheries right, so long as they have the powers to do it.”

 

The original Magnuson-Stevens Act was signed into law by President Gerald Ford on April 13, 1976 and has now been reauthorized six times. This year’s reauthorization is the culmination of a process that spanned two years and included consultation with members of Congress and concerned groups, constituencies, and organizations.

The fisheries managed by the North Pacific Regional Council have been singled out by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission as an example of proper conservation and management. This bill implements some of the council’s “best practices” nationwide. It strengthens the role of science in fishery management plans and decisions by enabling greater collaboration between the councils and their Scientific and Statistical Committees; improving data collection and management; and requiring fishery management plans to set annual catch limits that prevent overfishing.

In addition to protecting domestic fisheries, H.R. 5946 also strengthens management in international waters, particularly on the high seas. To help prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing from threatening the good management taking place in U.S. waters, the bill strengthens U.S. leadership in international conservation and management. It directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish an international compliance and monitoring program and allows the use of measures authorized under the High Seas Driftnet Act to force compliance in cases where regional or international fishery organizations are unable to stop IUU fishing.

Photos from today’s signing ceremony are attached.