On July 1, 2020, The Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP), the nation’s leading advocate for saltwater recreational anglers whom the MRAA works closely with, updated its Modern Fish Act Progress Report, which grades how the federal government is implementing the law in terms of timeliness, stakeholder input and substance.

On December 31, 2018, President Donald Trump signed the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 (Modern Fish Act). This law recognizes that recreational and commercial fishing are fundamentally different endeavors and should be managed accordingly and adds more appropriate management tools for policymakers to use in managing federal recreational fisheries.

“While there has been some forward progress in implementing the Modern Fish Act, there is still a long way to go,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “We knew this ship wouldn’t turn on a dime, and we will continue working with NOAA Fisheries, the regional management councils and the states to enforce the law the way Congress intended it.”

There are many milestones in the Modern Fish Act set to unfold on a certain timeline and that require participation by various governmental agencies, principally NOAA Fisheries. Visit CSP’s Modern Fish Act Progress Report page to learn the status of this important legislation.

For additional information, please contact MRAA government relations manager Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com.