109th Congress Passes Last Minute Environmental Bills (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act)

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http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2006/2006-12-11-04.asp

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Governing fisheries, the legislators reauthorized and amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Amendments improve monitoring and compliance for high seas fisheries or fisheries governed by international fishery management agreements.

The new version, the Secretary of Commerce will to report to Congress every two years on U.S. awareness of the status of international living marine resources shared by the United States.

The reports must include information on regulatory failures of nations engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing in high seas fisheries, practices that result in bycatch of endangered or threatened species, and international measures to reduce the impacts of fishing on protected living marine resources.

The Treasury Secretary will be required to withhold or revoke the clearance of an offending nation's vessels and deny their entry into U.S. navigable waters or ports. The U.S. would prohibit the import of fish products or sport fishing gear from such nation; and impose other economic sanctions if needed.

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