02.23.16

Sullivan Chairs Fisheries Subcommittee Hearing on 40th Anniversary of Magnuson Stevens Act

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today chaired a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard hearing entitled, “Magnuson–Stevens Act at 40: Successes, Challenges, and the Path Forward,” to examine the law’s impacts on managing the nation’s fisheries—its successes and possible areas of improvement.

Following in the footsteps of Senator Ted Stevens, whom the legislation is named after, Senator Sullivan opened by acknowledging that the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) has successfully Americanized our fisheries, and built the fishing industry into Alaska’s largest private employer.

“Through the MSA’s guiding principles—the ten national standards, as applied by the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils who manage the fisheries off America’s coasts in a science-based and open and transparent stakeholder-driven process —the MSA has resulted in the world’s best managed fisheries, particularly in Alaska,” said Sen. Sullivan.

Senator Sullivan also examined issues for potentially improving MSA, which was last reauthorized in 2006. Sullivan said, “I have heard from Alaska’s fishermen that my role as a steward of the MSA should largely be that of a doctor practicing the mantra of ‘First, do no harm.’ And that’s a great testament to the vision and hard-work of those that crafted the Act. We must ensure that our nation’s fishery management system supports a stable food supply, recreational opportunities, and plentiful fishing and processing jobs that provide for vibrant coastal communities.”

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