Statement On Bill That Weakens Fishing Industry

Statement

Rep. Sam Farr, D- Calif., released the following statement after voting against H.R. 1335, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act that weakens protections for the fishing industry created by the original Magnuson-Stevens Act:

"The Republicans' favorite game in Washington is to give a bill a wonderful sounding name and then have it do the exact opposite. Bills like the Clear Skies Act, which was nothing more than a free license for polluters to dump more toxins into the air. Now the Republican leadership has taken aim at our oceans.

"Today, House Republicans passed the so-called Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act -- a rather long name for a bill that does none of those things. Instead it actually weakens fishing communities and threatens to destroy many local economies that were saved by the original Magnuson-Stevens Act.

"The long-term health of the industry is dependent upon smart management of our greatest natural resource. Thanks to the original Magnuson-Stevens Act, overfished stocks are at an all time low leaving an abundant amount of most species for commercial and recreational fisherman. Thanks to this vote, we now risk returning to the days of overfishing that almost destroyed the entire industry. Only in this Congress would you take a policy that is working and toss it out for a bill this harmful."

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