The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (2007) is the primary law that governs marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters(NOAA Fisheries). Learn how it has effected fishing in Hawaii.
Timeline
1970s
1976
1977
1990s
NOW
Commercial fishing boomed as countries sought to find cheap protein sources. Major players included the U.S., Soviet Union, and Japan.
In an attempt to create a space for American fishermen, Congress passed a bi-partisan law, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to create exclusive economic zones in the U.S. and its territories.
Signed by President Gerald Ford, the Act pushed foreign fleets 200 miles offshore and established 8 councils. This act was the first to manage natural resources in the U.S. U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii foresaw trouble in managing national fish stocks though considering there was an abundance of fisherman in places such as Alaska and Hawaii.
Fishermen from the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and West Coast headed west in search of better opportunities to make more money. And holding a welcome sign in Honolulu was the newly created Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, with jurisdiction over 1.5 million square miles of ocean straddling both sides of the equator and the date line.
Bigeye tuna, the beloved fresh ahi found in poke bowls and sashimi platters, was overfished for nearly 20 years and still requires cautious management as the local industry’s most lucrative fish since the 1990s.
Observers have likened the development of fisheries in Hawaii to a gold rush.
For the past generation, Wespac’s focus has been on the management of bigeye, one of two types of tuna known as ahi in Hawaii. The other is yellowfin, which along with mahi-mahi and swordfish round out the top four fish in terms of economic value to Hawaii.
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