It’s the preeminent conservation law in the nation: the National Environmental Policy Act. The Act forces public officials to make informed (we can only hope) decisions on environmental and fisheries policy by requiring thorough assessments from scientists and plenty of public participation.

Recent proposals by the National Marine Fisheries Service to NEPA could curtail what little power recreational anglers have when it comes to fisheries management. It’s already apparent the Gulf and Atlantic councils will mute and drown out public comment if it’s not in their agreement. Right now, anglers on both of Florida’s coasts are outraged by the fuzzy science used by their respective councils to severely limit certain grouper and snapper harvests.

"Our oceans are under assault from global warming, pollution and industrial-scale fishing, yet NMFS has proposed weakening the one law that protects entire ecosystems," said Lee Crockett, director of federal fisheries policy for the Pew Environment Group. "This NEPA proposal isn't just bad for our oceans; it's also bad for the fishermen who depend on them for their livelihood."

As written, the proposal gives too much authority to the fishery management councils, while limiting the public's ability to participate in the process. More than 70 members of Congress (including five House committee chairs) signed letters to NMFS calling on the current Administration “to craft a proposal that protects, rather than threatens ocean ecosystems.” In addition, scientists, environmental organizations, and commercial and recreational fishing associations signed a similar letter.

The Pew Environmental Group points out two parts of the proposal that will affect anglers in particular:

1. The public’s ability to participate in decisions about the future of our oceans would be significantly limited. NMFS has the ability to reduce the public comment period for draft environmental reviews from 45 days to just 14 days. Furthermore, members of the public are prohibited from future participation if they do not comment during this initial round, while fishery managers are allowed to adopt last-minute alternatives after the close of the comment period.

2. Responsibility for conducting environmental review is inappropriately given to the regional fishery management councils like the Gulf Council and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The councils have mismanaged ocean fish for decades and continue to lock out offshore anglers in Florida while commercial interests run amok.