The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will once againfind itself in a determining role with our nation’s premier fisherieslaw, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). This agency is responsible forimplementing the law as it was intended by Congress, however it is now beingpressured to ignore the law by the fishing industry. The MSA states that indetermining annual catch limits for fisheries, managers must use the best availablescientific guidance provided by the Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC)of the regional fishery management councils. No matter how each council votes,the ultimate decision remains with NMFS.

The playing field for this next determination is New Englandand the Atlantic herring fishery management plan, and the final decision thatNMFS in Washington makes will be watched closely by other councils around the country– and could eventually indicate whether these types of threats to the MSAwill undermine NMFS being able to implement the law as intended. PewEnvironment Group placed an ad in Science magazine to reach NMFS decision-makers,scientists and lawyers.

The New England Fishery Management Council’s SSC gavethree options to the council for the 2010-2012 herring catch: 90,000 metrictons (mt), 106,000 mt and 108,000 mt. The council stayed within therecommendations of its SSC by choosing 106,000 mt, which Pew Environment Groupsupports.

Read a letter from the Pew Environment Group to NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco