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Jones legislation on rebuilding fisheries gains support
By SUSAN WEST  State fisheries commissioners unanimously passed a resolution on Nov. 16 supporting “the spirit” of the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2007, legislation introduced early in November by Congressman Walter B. Jones, R-NC. The bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to allow federal managers flexibility in setting deadlines for rebuilding fish stocks to healthy, sustainable levels. Under current law, stock recovery is required to be completed in the shortest time possible, not exceeding 10 years in most cases. “With a little more time to rebuild stocks, the federal management plans might not create so much hardship for North Carolina fishermen,” said commissioner Bradley Styron, a commercial fisherman and fish dealer from Cedar Island, during the meeting of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission at the Ocracoke Community Center. “Flexibility is needed in management as long as the time frame isn’t so long that stocks never recover,” added commissioner and recreational fisherman Rusty Russ from Shallotte. Louis Daniel, director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, told commissioners he supported the tenor of the legislation, but thought some sections might need to be refined. “The general principle is a good one, and we certainly look forward to the opportunity to work with Congressman Jones and others on this bill,” Daniel said. The bill picked up additional support last week when Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., signed on as co-sponsor. “It should be possible to promote healthy fisheries and economically prosperous fishing communities at the same time, but current law doesn’t fully take into account the potential negative economic impact of one-size-fits-all rebuilding time frames,” said Frank in a press release. Frank opposed the act passed by Congress last December that reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Act, retaining the 10-year rebuilding time frame for all species except summer flounder During the reauthorization process, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of the eight federal councils, urged Congress to discard the 10-year rule to prevent “unwarranted economic and social costs” and replace it with a requirement for management measures that showed positive trends within three years. The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act is picking up a broad base of support from commercial and recreational fishermen, according to Sean McKeon, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, a commercial fishing industry organization. The scope of that support can be seen in New Jersey, where the Garden State Seafood Association and the Recreational Fishing Alliance, two groups often at odds when it comes to fisheries issues, support the bill. “This legislation will aid commercial and recreational fishermen and the businesses that depend on them that are now threatened by rigid time frames and rebuilding parameters that are impossible to achieve,” according to a statement from the Garden State Seafood Association. “It will provide for healthy and well-managed fisheries based on the actual biological condition of the fish populations, rather than on arbitrary schedules established with no regard to natural conditions in the oceans or economic realities ashore,” the statement continued. The Magnuson-Stevens Act directs managers to development management plans that not only protect marine resources, but that also minimize adverse economic impacts on fishing communities. Fishermen said that when managers are locked into a 10-year rebuilding schedule, socio-economic considerations usually get pushed to the side. Some environmental advocacy groups argue that adjusting the rebuilding schedule would jeopardize conservation efforts. “We are very concerned about (this legislation). We don’t want to see the law opened up and weakened again,” said Lee Crockett, director of federal fisheries policy with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Environment Group, a public policy advocacy group, during a press conference in early November. The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2007 has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. 
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