Fisheries Management 101: Implications of the Sustainable Fisheries Act for Galveston Bay

The fishery resources of Galveston Bay are an important ecological, economical and cultural asset to the Bay area and the entire Gulf of Mexico. Recognizing the importance of these resources, the United States Congress in 1976 passed the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 which created an exclusive federal economic zone in which our fisheries would be managed to achieve net benefits for the nation. This Act has been amended over time, most notably with the passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (SFA). The primary focus of the SFA is securing sustainable fishery resources by focusing on identifying and protecting essential fish habitat; ending the overfishing of fishery species and rebuilding overfished fisheries; minimizing the waste or bycatch in our fisheries; and reforming the decision making process of the regional fishery management councils by recusal of voting members who have a financial stake in the outcome.