I like it when I can say something nice about my state’s representatives. On Tuesday, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens introduced legislation that should help unburden over-fished regions, and to make fisheries management more answerable to scientific advisors. To put it mildly, this makes me happy.
One thing I often harp on is that it seems politicians have a tendency to ignore scientific fact. When I see legislation like this, making policy and decision making regarding the environment answerable to scientific query, I feel we move a bit closer to some mythic ecologic harmony. Conservation is key, and I hope this legislation moves us in that direction.
I’m quick to point out the bad side of politicians, and it would be hypocritical of me not to mention the good side when I see it. According to an article in the Daily News-Miner this legislation would have the following affects:
- Make fishery management council members to disclose more information about their financial interests and clarify when a member must be recused from participating in a decision.
- Require recreational fishermen who fish in federal waters to register.
- Require federal officials to create regional programs to develop technology that reduces bycatch–the non-commercial fish that are killed in nets.
- Create a new process to reduce time-line conflicts between the National Environmental Policy Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
- Direct federal officials to combat “illegal, unreported and unregulated” fishing in international waters.
All of these sound good, but point three is a major concern. Bycatch includes all the things caught in nets that fishermen throw out. This includes things you may not consider (or, at least, that I wouldn’t have thought about), such as juvenile salmon, halibut, crabs and, oddly, seabirds. By reducing bycatch, the ecosystem can be improved and commercially viable (and ecologically sound) populations can be maintained.
I’m glad to see this legislation proposed by an Alaskan Senator. It speaks volumes about the states commitment to conservation.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Jill // Nov 19, 2005 at 12:23 PM
Sounds like a good victory… but … I’ve lived here two months. I’m from maniacal religious Utah, and still I stand in amazement of these Alaska politicians. One more step to the right, and they’ll fall all the way off the edge.
2 Roger Asbury // Nov 21, 2005 at 9:05 AM
I know what you mean. I spent a year in Southern Idaho a couple years ago. Alaska politics still scores high on the crazy scale.
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