Advocates for the recreational and commercial fishing industries wants to replicate the success of a 2010 demonstration to protest the overreaching federal regulations. They set March 21, a date for strong rally in Washington D.C. The “Keep Fishermen Fishing” rally is being organized by a coalition of fishing groups, including the New Jersey-based Recreational Fishing Alliance and Garden State Seafood Association.
Fishermen said that they want reforms in the Magnuson-Steven Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the overarching federal law that sets fishing rules and how catch limits are set. U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone Jr., D-NJ, and Jon Runyan, R-NJ, are among a group of coastal legislators who have proposed changes to the law without much success, so far.
But NOAA is firm on its decision saying that the law is working to restore fish stocks. Commenting on this Jim Donofrio of the Recreational Fishing Alliance said the law’s last reauthorization prevent fishermen from utilizing fish stocks even when they’ve been rebuilt. For commercial fishermen, a big concern is NOAA’s move toward using systems of assigned catch shares to control their catches.
“United We Fish” rally was first started in February 2010 which brought several thousand anglers and commercial fishermen together on the west side of Capitol Hill for a day-long demonstration.
