Experts debate Magnuson-Stevens Act

Speaking at the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle last week, Vince O’Shea, executive director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), said he doesn’t expect any movement on reauthorization of the 1976 Act until the new Congress meets next year.

“I think it’s safe to conclude that the environmental community is pleased with the elections,” O’Shea said. “The overall election results in a change of climate.”

O’Shea moderated the session on the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which included panelists McKie Campbell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG); Jim Ruhle, a member of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); and Stephanie Madsen, vice president of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA) and chairwoman of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC).

Magnuson-Stevens