National News

Op-Ed | Federal Fisheries Law Re-Authorization Off Course. By Robert Vandermark, “Over the last two decades, the United States made significant progress toward ensuring the long-term health of U.S. fish populations and the fishing communities that depend on them, as demonstrated in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) most recent report. Congress has twice re-authorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act (MSA), the body of law that governs fishing in federal waters. In doing so, Congress made several vital course corrections in terms of managing our nation’s fisheries; most importantly by setting strict rebuilding requirements for overfished stocks and requiring annual catch limits – of which both must be science-based. The third re-authorization, which is underway, should be a charm that protects and builds upon the progress we’ve made. Sadly, the bills currently being debated take us terribly off course, especially H.R. 200, the ‘Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act.’” [The Hill, 6/25/18 (+)]

Op-Ed | Congress Shouldn’t Gut Our Successful Fisheries Program. “Out on the water fishing for lingcod to bring home for dinner, you don’t usually think about how a federal law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, is the reason this and other West Coast fish populations that were once overfished are now rebuilt. But it’s because of successes like lingcod that our country is considered a leader in fisheries management around the world. With 44 overfished stocks rebuilt since 2000 and overfishing near all-time lows, we have a lot to be grateful for. And, for anglers like me, the way we’ve been heading is great news. The more fish in the water, the more chances I have to go after them. There also is the subsequent $27 billion economic benefit salt water sport fisheries bring to rural coastal towns.” [Tri-City Herald, 6/25/18 (+)]

Op-Ed | Time to Repair and Replace Unconstitutional Federal Waters Rule. By Jonathan Wood, “The Obama administration’s embattled “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule, which expanded the scope of the federal Clean Water Act, lingers on the books despite an executive order from President Trump and several administrative actions. But this month, this overreaching rule suffered another blow as yet another federal court noted its probable illegality and forbade its enforcement in 11 more states (bringing the total number of states where the rule cannot be enforced to 24). It’s doubtful the illegal WOTUS rule ever will be enforced in the other 26 states, thanks to the Trump administration’s decision to repeal and replace it. But getting to that outcome is proving to be more difficult and time-consuming than expected. Every step the administration has taken on this issue inevitably has been dragged into litigation.” [The Hill, 6/25/18 (-)]

US House Set to Vote on Key Fisheries Bill Tuesday. “A hotly debated bill that would revamp the key law that governs how the federal government manages fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere off the nation’s coast is headed for a vote Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s called the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, or H.R. 200. It’s also referred to as the Modern Fish Act. Its author, Rep. Don Young, says the bill would update and improve the Magnuson Stevens Act, the primary law that guides federal fisheries regulators. ‘Reauthorizing the MSA will ensure a proper balance between the biological needs of fish stocks and the economic needs of fishermen and coastal communities,’ Young said after the House Natural Resources Committee approved his bill in December. ‘MSA has not been reauthorized since 2006. It is long past time for this Congress to act and support our nation’s fisheries.’” [Daily Comet, 6/24/18 (=)]

Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Partly Halted in West Virginia. “The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday halted some construction of the natural gas Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia. The three-judge panel sided with conservation groups who challenged the pipeline’s water-crossings permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Environmental groups, led by the Sierra Club, argued that construction of the 303-mile pipeline should be halted in the state, because the pipeline developer’s own documents showed they could not complete construction quickly enough to comply with the federal permit. At the heart of the dispute is a federal Clean Water Act permit which allows the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to disrupt streams and wetlands during construction, while maintaining water quality standards.” [West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 6/25/18 (=)]