Salud Ortiz Carbajal: “I want to thank my colleague for yielding me time to voice my opposition to the rule which provides for consideration of…”

“I want to thank my colleague for yielding me time to voice my opposition to the rule which provides for consideration of H.R. 200. As it is currently written, H.R. 200 would undermine the conservation gains we have made over the last 2 decades under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, MSA, to prevent overfishing and encourage sustainable fisheries management. Before reforms were made to the MSA in 1996 and 2006, many fisheries lacked the sustainable quotas and requirements to rebuild depleted stocks. As a result, countless fisheries and fishermen around the country suffered the consequences. Since Congress changed the law to ensure science-based quotas applied, 44 fisheries around the country have now been restored to healthy levels. The number of stocks that remain overfished is at an all-time low. H.R. 200 would weaken core sustainability provisions of the MSA. This is a misguided attempt to provide recreational fishermen short-term access at the needless expense of both commercial fishermen and the long-term health of our fisheries. This hurts our coastal communities and businesses that depend on a robust fishing industry and its products. Additionally, H.R. 200 fails to sufficiently fund stock assessments to ensure effective and efficient management of our Nation's fisheries. I offered an amendment to authorize an additional $25 million for stock assessments.…”