Chellie Pingree: “I thank my colleague for his eloquent defense of our oceans, and also for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, I rise…”

“I thank my colleague for his eloquent defense of our oceans, and also for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 200. I represent the great State of Maine, with a rich maritime heritage, strong fisheries, and vibrant coastal communities that I am very proud to represent. The hardworking men and women who earn their livings on or near the water in my State have been working for decades to follow the Magnuson- Stevens Act and Federal fishery policy. They are responsible stewards of our ocean resources. And while the current law could certainly be improved, it has been successful in allowing Mainers and others to support their families while restoring and preserving the health of their fisheries. They want to pass this maritime heritage on to the next generation, and I am afraid this bill would make that task even harder for them. The bill before us today, therefore, is a big disappointment to me because it misses the opportunity to update the Magnuson-Stevens Act. By reauthorizing Magnuson, we could work in a bipartisan way to address the current needs of our fisheries and provide more flexibility. We could bring Federal policy further into the 21st century. This bill is the wrong approach for addressing fishery management. It weakens rebuilding requirements, creates loopholes in some conservation efforts, and has the effect of decreasing accountability that has been put in place to prevent overfishing. H.R.…”