BacksMRAA joined other organizations in the recreational boating and fishing community to support the bipartisan Restoring Resilient Reefs Act (H.R. 160) introduced by Reps. Soto (D-FL), Case (D-HI), Radewagen (R-AS), Mast (R-FL), Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), and Plaskett (D-VI).
This legislation will reauthorize and modernize the Coral Conservation Act of 2000. for five years to better support capacity-building at the state and local levels and to expand active restoration efforts combat reef degradation caused by coral disease, bleaching, natural disasters and human activity.
The bill also establishes standards for the formation of public-private partnerships to engage in the stewardship and restoration of reefs while also authorizing the Department of the Interior to provide scientific expertise, technical assistance, and financial assistance for the conservation and restoration of coral reefs.
This legislation is crucial for supporting healthy and diverse fisheries as coral reefs are home to a multitude of species as well as forage for sought after gamefish.
