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Sierra Club Grassroots Email Express
July 11, 2006
Volume 4 No. 10
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SUPPORT AMMENDMENTS TO THE AMERICAN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND MARINE LIFE ENHANCEMENT ACT

Ask Maine's Representatives to Support Amendments to Fix HR 5018

THE ISSUE

Act today!  Please call your representative and ask him to support amendments to fix H.R. 5018, the “American Fisheries Management and Marine Life Enhancement Act.”  In its current form, this bill rolls back critical conservation protections for our ocean fish.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Help us get thousands of phone calls to the U.S. House of Representatives telling them to vote for amendments to Pombo’s bill.  If those amendments fail, they should vote against the bill.

This is the most important opportunity we have to influence lawmakers before the House vote this month.

Call Representative Allen (1st district) at 202-225-6116 or Representative Michaud (2nd district) at 202-225-6306.

 

Ask for the staff person who handles oceans issues.  Tell the marine staff person the following:

 

“My name is ___________ and I am calling from ____________.  I am calling regarding H.R. 5018, a bill reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, this act is expected to come to the floor very soon.  This bill has major flaws and I am calling to ask Representative __________ to help improve it.  Please tell Representative _________ to vote YES on strengthening amendments to H.R. 5018 that eliminate the rollbacks contained in the law and that implement important new conservation measures.  If these amendments fail, I urge Representative __________ to vote NO on final passage.”

 

If they ask for more information, you can email or fax them the following:

 

Dear Representative:

 

I am writing to urge you to vote in favor of amendments to fix the seriously flawed “American Fisheries Management and Marine Life Enhancement Act,” H.R. 5018, sponsored by Richard Pombo, Barney Frank, and Don Young.  If those amendments fail, please vote no on final passage.

 

H.R. 5018 reauthorizes the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the primary law governing the management of our nation's ocean fisheries.  Even though two national blue ribbon commissions, hundreds of scientists, and millions of Americans have called on Congress to strengthen the Magnuson-Stevens Act, H.R. 5018 contains several provisions that would undercut important conservation measures currently in the law and contains other major shortcomings.  In its current form, the bill:

 

·        Creates loopholes in the requirement to rebuild depleted fish populations; 

·        Exempts fishery managers from soliciting public input and considering a full range of alternatives when making federal fishery management decisions as required by the National Environmental Policy Act; 

·        Fails to ensure that federal managers comply with annual fishing limits;

·        Fails to ensure independent scientific input and improved public participation in the fishery management process;

·        Does not adequately protect public ocean fish resources from privatization; and

·        Fails to provide managers with the authority to protect deep sea corals from damaging fishing gear.

 

H.R. 5018 unnecessarily weakens this important law at a time when it should be strengthened.  Please vote in favor of amendments to fix H.R. 5018, and if those amendments fail, vote no on final passage.

For more information contact the Chapter Office at 761-5616 or by email at maine.chapter@sierraclub.org.