Abstract
Federal fishery management is a complex regulatory world, full of acronyms and obscure processes. Decades ago, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program (MASGLP) issued Understanding Fisheries Management, a manual last revised in 2005. Since then, fishery management has changed, as has technology. MASGLP is updating the manual not only in content but in format. The new version, Federal Fishery Management, when completed, will include a website with interactive features to demonstrate some of its components. A published version is also planned, as this is one of the MASGLP’s most requested publications. This online publication explains the underlying legal background of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the structure of Fishery Management Councils, the scientific bases for establishing management levels, and the Fishery Management Plan process. New content includes expanded discussions on FMPs, how they are developed and how they are revised. It explains the vocabulary of how catch limits are set and discusses the different types of limited access fisheries, new sections as a result of the most recent MSA amendments. Additionally, the publication has new sections on observer programs, disaster relief, and other laws influencing fishery management such as the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It includes new content using specific examples from the eight regional Fishery Management Councils to explain MSA issues such as enforcement, rebuilding plans, bycatch, and observer programs. There is a more detailed discussion of habitat protection. These sections include Legal Sidebars with case law illustrating how these practices are used. This presentation, by Kristina Alexander, the author of the new manual, and a Sr. Research Counsel at MASGLP, will demonstrate the new product, its features, and content.
