Publication: Celebrating 40 Years of Regional Fisheries Management
/
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law governing marine fisheries in U.S. waters. The Act ushered in a new era of managing marine fisheries and conserving fish stocks by extending federal fisheries jurisdiction out to 200 miles and establishing the Regional Fishery Management Council system. To fully appreciate the scale of this monumental change, this document explores how fisheries were managed before the Act was put in place and highlights the accomplishments of each of the eight regional management councils – and challenges being faced as we move forward into the next 40 years.
