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August 28, 2006

American Sportfishing Association Policy Alert
Support Passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (HR 5018)

Please send letters to your Congressional representatives to support passage of the House Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act bill (HR 5018). The act has not been reauthorized in ten years and includes important, and crucial, provisions for recreational fishing.

The Senate bill has passed, but the House version of the Act has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives.

How do I get involved?
Please send a letter to your Member(s) of the House of Representatives asking him or her to support House Bill 5018. You can reach your Member of the House of Representatives through ASA's Web site and send the letter by simply typing in your name and address.

The Issue
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act has been working its way through Congress for over 18 months. The Magnuson-Stevens Act is the principal law for managing fisheries in the United States. In the development of bills in the Senate and House, provisions supported by the American Sportfishing Association and other conservation and sportfishing groups have been added that will significantly help the future of sportfishing.

Both the Senate and House bills, while different, contain protections that restrict the establishment of no-fishing zones, require consideration of the economic impact of recreational fishing in allocations, address recreational data deficiencies, require that bycatch be addressed and provide for fleet reduction buyouts and other measures to reduce the overcapitalization of commercial fleets.

Why Act Now?
We are now nearing the end of the 109th Congress and if the bill is not passed this year, the process will need start all over again next year. The Senate bill has passed, but the House version of the Act has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. The House will return in early September and it is important for the House bill to be heard as soon as possible.

Once both are passed, the bills will go into Senate-House conference to produce the final bill that can go to the President for signing. With all of the competing issues that will face the House, it is important to let your House member know that this bill is important.

The time to act is now. Thank you!