Marine activists are calling on Congress to put conservation back into the 1976 Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The act is up for reauthorization this year and conservationists support amendments offered by Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md., intended to stop depletion of fish populations, preserve habitats, minimize waste, and curb conflicts of interest on fishery councils. For more information, contact Bill Mott of the Marine Fish Conservation Network at 1725 DeSales St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036.
Environmentalists also want the U.S. to push for an international fisheries treaty with stringent conservation standards in upcoming United Nations negotiations. To express support for such a treaty, write State Department Counselor Tim Wirth at the State Department, 2201 C St. NW, Room 7250, Washington, DC 20520.
Further reading: Fish for the Future: A Citizen’s Guide to Federal Marine Fisheries Management ($7.95; Center for Marine Conservation, 202-429-5609); Abandoned Seas: Reversing the Decline of the Oceans ($5; Worldwatch Institute, 202-452-1999); Beyond Denial: The Northeastern Fisheries Crisis, by Charles H. Collins (free; National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, 202-857-0166).
