While we may have a new Congress, they are still fishing for the same trouble.  Despite hearing from more than 31,000 Ocean Conservancy members to throw the bill back,  Representative Don Young (R-AK) reintroduced the same legislation attempting to weaken our federal fisheries law that former Representative Doc Hastings was pushing last year.

Last week, the House of Representatives continued its attempts to weaken our nation’s federal fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Our nation’s fisheries have made remarkable progress ending overfishing and rebuilding fish populations under this law, and we cannot afford to reverse course. Weakening the Magnuson-Stevens Act would harm the ocean environment and threaten the long-term sustainability of coastal fishing communities, businesses, and jobs. Weakening the Magnuson-Stevens Act is something that we simply cannot afford.

This bill is a step back for America’s fisheries, fishermen and coastal communities. Instead of gutting our nation’s fishery conservation safeguards, we should be strengthening the Magnuson-Stevens Act to support healthy, productive fisheries and fishing communities.