On Monday, 4/10/00, I attended a meeting in San Francisco organized by the Marine Fish Conservation Network, (http://www.conservefish.org/) regarding important new Federal fisheries legislation.

The Network is a coalition of local and national environmental and conservation organizations with interests in fisheries, including Greenpeace, The Center for Marine Conservation, and the National Resources Defense Council as well as some conservation minded commercial small fisherman's associations, like the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA), currently headed by Zeke Grader.

The legislation, H. R. 4046, has been entitled the "Fisheries Recovery Act" and was introduced 3/21/00 in the House of Representatives by Wayne Gilchrest, R-MD.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) is the governing law regarding the management of Federally controlled fisheries. Despite Magnuson-Stevens, important fisheries have continued to experience catastrophic collapses, most recently the California groundfish Fishery, which includes rockfish and lingcod.

The proposed legislation significantly strengthens the Magnuson-Stevens Act by requiring:

1. That essential fish habitat be protected.

2. That membership in the policy setting regional fishery management councils be better balanced between commercial and recreational fishermen and the public interest in marine conservation.

3. That mandatory observers collect statistical and scientific data.

4. That the definition of "overfishing" be strengthened.

5. That fisheries ecosystem plans be required.

6. That the "precautionary approach" be applied to the management of federal fisheries.

Successful passage of the bill is dependent on getting as many co-sponsors in the House and getting sponsorship of a bill in the Senate.

Certain Representatives and Senators have been identified as possible co-sponsors.

To this end, I am asking you to contact the appropriate California Congressional Representatives and Senator Barbara Boxer. Full information is available below on how to contact them either by phone, mail or email.

Ask that they support and sponsor HR 4046, the Fisheries Recovery Act!

HERE IS MY LETTER!

Links with more information about the bill are available on the Network's web page, www.conservefish.org.

Link addresses are listed below for Representatives.

Thank you for your support.

Pass this along to a friend.

Curt Degler

cdegler@best.com

The Plight of California's Reef Fish

http://boxer.senate.gov/home.html

e-mail- go to: http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/

Washington Office:

Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Telephone: (202) 224-3553

Local San Francisco Office

1700 Montgomery Street
Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 403-0100
(415) 956-6701 (fax)

.

Anna Eschoo (D-CA, Northern Silicon Valley)

http://www-eshoo.house.gov/

e-mail, go to: http://www-eshoo.house.gov/IMA/get_address.htm

Washington Office:

205 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-8104
Fax: (202) 225-8890

Palo Alto Office

698 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, California 94301

Telephone: (650) 323-2984
Fax: (650) 323-3498

George Miller (D-CA, Contra Costa, Southern Solano)

http://www.house.gov/georgemiller/

e-mail: George.Miller@mail.house.gov

Washington Office:

2205 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-2095

Local Office

1333 Willow Pass Road
Suite 203
Concord, CA 94520

Telephone: (925) 602-1880

Tom Campbell (R-CA, Southern Silicon Valley)

http://www.house.gov/campbell/

e-mail: campbell@mail.house.gov

Washington Office:

2442 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-2631
Fax: (202) 225-6788

District Office:

910 Campisi Way, Suite 1C
Campbell, CA 95008

Telephone: (408) 371-7337
Fax: (408) 371-7925

Santa Cruz: (831) 438-4819

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, San Francisco)

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/

e-mail: sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

Washington Office:

2457 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-4965

District Office

450 Golden Gate Ave., 14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

Telephone: (415) 556-4862

Mike Thompson (D-CA, Mendocino, Napa and Northern Sonoma, California)

http://www.house.gov/mthompson/

e-mail: M.Thompson@mail.house.gov

Washington Office:

415 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-3311

Local Office

317 3rd Street, Suite 1
Eureka, California 95501

Telephone: (707) 269-9595
Fax: (707) 269-9598

Lynn Woolsey (D-CA, Sonoma and Marin California)

http://www.house.gov/woolsey/

e-mail: lynn.woolsey@mail.house.gov

Washington Office:

439 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-5161

Santa Rosa Office

1101 College Avenue, Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Telephone: (707) 542-7182
Fax: (707) 542-2745

Representative not listed? http://www.house.gov/writerep/

-- Summary of Bill
http://www.conservefish.org/Text/fra.html

-- Press Release
http://www.conservefish.org/Text/fra.html

-- A News Article about Bill
http://www.best.com/~cdegler/CALFISH/magreauth.html

-- The Precautionary Principle
http://www.best.com/~cdegler/CALFISH/precautionary.html

-- Links to pages discussing the Magnuson-Stevens Act
http://www.best.com/~cdegler/CALFISH/magnusonact.html