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Archived Project

Federal Ocean Policy

Making Strides in Ending Overfishing 

Since 2007, Pew has advocated at the federal level for science-based fishery conservation. This work has focused on ending overfishing, protecting ocean habitat, reducing bycatch, and supporting implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management that has science as its foundation.

Pew worked to ensure that Congress maintained key conservation provisions when it reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the nation’s primary fishery conservation and management law; advocated for federal policies and rules that support fully rebuilt and well-managed fish populations; and supported the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s development of an ecosystem-based fisheries management policy and implementation plan. 

In 2019, Pew broadened its U.S. ocean conservation efforts to include protecting essential coastal habitats. Read more about Pew’s ongoing work on these and related issues on the Conserving Marine Life in the U.S.— National Policy page.

Our Work

Conserving Marine Life in the U.S. – National Policy

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Conserving Marine Life in the U.S. – National Policy

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The Magnuson-Stevens Act at 40

Reasons major U.S. fishing law should shift to big picture management

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On April 13, 2016, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law that governs fishing in U.S. ocean waters, turns 40.

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