Washington, D.C. – The following statement was issued by Meredith Moore, director of the Fish Conservation Program at Ocean Conservancy, in response to U.S. House Water, Oceans & Wildlife Subcommittee Chairman Jared Huffman’s listening tour to discuss the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishermen and other stakeholders across the country:

“We’re thrilled that Chairman Huffman is taking this inclusive approach to evaluating how we can build on the successes of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to tackle today’s fishery challenges, including addressing climate change impacts, modernizing our data systems, and supporting sustainable fishing.”

“U.S. fishery management is a model for the world, supporting robust commercial and recreational fisheries while ensuring science-based limits keep catch at sustainable levels. Key to the success of the law has been thoughtful improvements by Congress in two previous reauthorizations that have given managers the tools they need to bring stocks back to healthy levels and significantly reduce overfishing in our waters.

“Fishermen and coastal communities still face challenges on the water, particularly as climate change disrupts marine ecosystems. This listening tour is a positive, thoughtful step toward hearing from diverse communities that depend on healthy oceans for their livelihoods, cultures, and recreation.”

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Meredith Moore is available for media interviews upon request.

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.