Public Policy Works: Saving Fish

by Stuart Shapiro

In the mid-1990’s, a number of fisheries were in peril from long term over-fishing.  Then Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, the revamped Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.  The results:

The NRDC report charts progress for the 44 stocks that have sufficient population and catch data under the act and found nearly two-thirds, some 28 stocks, have now been designated as fully rebuilt or as having made significant progress toward sustainable populations. . . the success of so many rebuilding plans has delivered an economic boon to many fishermen, Sewell said. Gross commercial fishing revenues from the 28 rebuilt stocks were 54 percent higher when adjusted for inflation during the 2008-2010 period than they were when rebuilding began.

There was once a day when, confronted with a public policy problem, legislators with different views came together, talked to experts, and fashioned a solution.  Seems like a long time ago.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.