Haley Stevens: “the Senate just passed critical legislation to ensure the productivity and sustainability of our Nation's fishery…”

“the Senate just passed critical legislation to ensure the productivity and sustainability of our Nation's fishery resources. S. 2012, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2005, is the product of over a year and a half of discussions, hearings, drafts, revisions, and compromise. My good friend and cochairman of the Commerce Committee, Senator Inouye, worked closely with me on drafting this bill to manage and regulate the fisheries in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Lott, Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, Vitter, Kerry, Boxer, Lautenberg, Bill Nelson, Cantwell, and Pryor. In a speech last week, President Bush urged the Congress to pass legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Senate has now acted and I will work closely with the House to get our bills resolved in conference and get this important legislation to the President for his signature. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2005 implements many of the recommendations from the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the first such Congressionally authorized commission to review our Nation's ocean policies and laws in over 35 years. The recommendations of the commission were important to the development of this Act.…”