On January 29, the Virginia House of Delegates Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on HB 1448, Menhaden; Management of the Fishery, which would transfer management authority for the fishery from Virginia’s General Assembly, to the Virginia Marine Resource Commission (VMRC). All other marine fisheries in the state are managed by VMRC. […]

On January 23, the Maine State Legislature Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business held a hearing on a bill (HB 1977) that would require manufacturers to provide comprehensive information and access to software and tools needed to repair products – including electronics, and marine engines— to untrained and uncertified technicians and individuals. MRAA […]

On January 9, 2020, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Save our Seas 2.0 Act, a crucial step to address the growing water quality issues caused by marine debris.  Introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), final passage of this bill— which is supported by MRAA— would create a federal marine debris foundation, launch federal studies into […]

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross issued a statement threatening to temporarily close Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden fishery if the state of Virginia does not comply with federal quotas by June 17, 2020.  In a win for recreational fishing, the U.S. Department of Commerce found Virginia out of compliance for permitting Omega Protein Corp., which accounts […]

SAINT PAUL, MN – December 13, 2019 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, along with its outdoor recreation partners, applaud yesterday’s announcement by Governor Tim Walz to create an Outdoor Recreation Task Force in the State of Minnesota. Establishing the Task Force formalizes the state’s commitment to its robust outdoor recreation economy, which […]

On November 15, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Attorney General Leticia James expanded the state’s lawsuit against the International Joint Commission (IJC) for failing to implement proper flooding protocols for the Moses-Saunders Power Dam along the St. Lawrence river. This filing builds on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s lawsuit against the […]

On Saturday, November 9, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recognized an 18-mile stretch of Maryland’s Potomac River as the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. In attendance was Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, and senior NOAA and U.S. Department of Commerce officials. The sanctuary’s formal designation took place […]

Registration is now open for American Boating Congress (ABC), which will be held Tuesday May 12 – Thursday, May 14, 2020.  The event will be held at the InterContinental at The Warf in Washington, DC.  This event is open for U.S. members, and provides attendees with the opportunity to meet their elected officials, hear from […]

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee held a full committee hearing on three outdoor recreation bills that would support the outdoor recreation economy. The three bills together would help expand access to public lands for recreational use. The hearing can be found here.  Separately, the Senate passed an amendment to direct the government to […]

On October 30, members of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Striped Bass Management Board voted 11-4 in favor of requiring an 18% reduction in striped bass harvests in the commercial and recreational fishing sectors from North Carolina to Maine. The MRAA supported this decision after being presented with evidence that the species was […]