National News

Fishing Overhaul Draws Praise from Various Sides. “An overhaul of federal fishing regulations approved Monday by the U.S. Senate is drawing praise from groups on competing sides of the long-running issue. The bill, which now heads to the House, was the subject of months of debate and compromise among lawmakers, commercial and recreational fishing interests and environmentalists. ‘Passage of the Modern Fish Act will boost our conservation efforts and benefit the local economies that depend on recreational fishing,’ Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the bill’s sponsor, said in a news release. ‘I appreciate the hard work of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed, but there is still more work to be done. I look forward to continuing our efforts to modernize federal fishing policies on the Gulf Coast and to support our fishermen.’ Sport-fishing groups fought for provisions they say would give greater flexibility to states and regional boards to manage fisheries off their coasts and could lead to greater access for anglers. Commercial fishing groups had expressed concern about how those measures would affect them. Environmentalists had opposed measures they said would weaken the Magnuson Stevens Act, the primary law that guides federal fisheries regulators, which they credit for helping dozens of species rebound from overfishing.” [Houma Today, 12/17/18 (=)]

Editorial | Trump Is Wrong to Weaken Clean Water Rules. By Bloomberg, “President Trump really dislikes the 2015 Clean Water Rule. Barely a month after taking office he directed the Environmental Protection Agency to take steps toward killing it. The ‘horrible, horrible’ rule, he said, was a ‘massive power grab’ that burdens farmers and developers with restrictions on ‘every puddle’ and ‘every ditch.’ In fact, the rule simply clarifies the scope of the 1972 Clean Water Act, while going out of its way to avoid impinging on ordinary farming operations. The administration’s proposed replacement shows that its real aim isn’t to sweep away petty and pointless regulations, but to broadly curtail federal authority over water pollution. Trump’s new rule would undermine protections that have been in place for almost half a century. It threatens the quality of drinking water and aquatic habitats across the U.S.” [Bloomberg, 12/17/18 (+)]

Building a Better Weapon against Harmful Algae Blooms. “This week at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting in Washington, D.C, a team of scientists from The Ohio State University shared early results from a trio of studies that aim to improve models designed to guide agricultural practices for reducing the risk of nitrogen and phosphorus farm runoff. Such runoff leads to the growth of toxic algae in waterways. Basic models for predicting the consequences of various decisions, such as when to apply fertilizer, are available but they must be refined in order to ensure reliability and gain the trust of interested parties, including farmers and environmental protection organizations, said Jay Martin, a professor of ecological engineering at Ohio State.” [Science Daily, 12/17/18 (=)]