New England environmentalists are speaking out against proposed changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal law that has regulated fisheries in the U.S. since 1976.
But the environmental advocacy nonprofit Conservation Law Foundation says a bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would create loopholes in the law.
The foundation's Jennifer Felt says the group is against the bill because it would allow catch limits to be set without using scientific data and would weaken requirements for rebuilding overfished species.
“And what we need for our coastal communities, for our fishing communities is to ensure that management practices are planning for the next generation and for the future of healthy sustainable fisheries," Felt says.
The U.S. Senate still has to pass its version before the Magnuson-Stevens Act is reauthorized.
Avory Brookins of Rhode Island Public Radio reported this story for the New England News Collaborative.