Mercury Marine is supporting the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the American Sportfish Association and BoatUS as they advocate for the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act reauthorization bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
But the company is also publicly expressing frustration that full reauthorization of the act will most likely not be addressed in Congress until 2015.
“We share in the disappointment of the entire marine industry,” Mercury Marine president John Pfeifer said in a statement. “Improving saltwater recreational fisheries management is a serious issue for our industry and for the livelihood of the angling community across the country. While we still are without a resolution, I commend NMMA, ASA and BoatUS for the hard work they have done to push this legislation towards a positive outcome for anglers and fisheries in the United States.”
H.R. 4742, the “Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act,” awaits a vote on the floor of the House. The bill includes several provisions from A Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries, such as easing the strict implementation of annual catch limits and improving stock assessments for data-poor fisheries.
