John R. Chapman III is an attorney based in Holland
& Knight's
Fort Lauderdale office
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
voted to approve the Modern Fish Act on Feb. 28, 2018. The Modern
Fish Act has bi-partisan support but is opposed by commercial
fishing interest and some non-governmental organizations. Passage
of the act could spur litigation similar to that recently filed by
NGOs regarding recent recreational angling regulatory
decisions.
Saltwater fishing is one of the Nation's oldest pastimes.
It's also big business. Recreational and commercial fishing
generated $208 billion in annual sales and supported 1.6 million
full and part time jobs across America, according to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) 2015 estimates.
Since 1976, the saltwater fishing community – both commercial
and recreational – have been regulated by the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Under the
Magnuson-Stevens
