U.S. SENATE STRENGTHENS FISHERIES PROTECTIONS
The United States Senate unanimously approved a bill to revamp management of the nation's marine fisheries and strengthen protections against overfishing of dwindling stocks. The bill requires the use of annual catch limits and enhances the authority of eight regional fishery-management councils, as Congress struggles to protect vulnerable fish stocks while keeping struggling fishing industries afloat. The bill reauthorizes the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the 30-year-old law that oversees fishery management in waters between three miles and 200 miles offshore. The House is considering a different version of the bill. The bill also would bolster the role of scientific advisory committees and incorporate several recommendations from the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, which has called for an overhaul of U.S. ocean policies and laws.

Source: Matthew Daly, The Associated Press, 20 June 2006
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