Mr. Chairman, as we begin to examine reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, I am reminded of a quote from an unknown author: "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime."

     In recent years, Americans are increasingly consuming fish. Families are being urged to choose fish as part of a high-protein, low-fat diet. Fish oils are being hailed for any number of health benefits, like lowering the risk of heart disease.

     This renewed interest in fish extends even to angling. Billions of dollars are spent annually by Americans who enjoy recreational fishing.

     Meanwhile, however, year after year, reports on the status of our Nation’s fish stocks are ringing cautionary notes. These reports document continuing incidents of overfishing and depletion.

     It is abundantly clear that the rate of overfishing cannot continue without putting at risk the livelihoods of families who depend on the industry and communities grounded in the fishing culture.

     The problem is not something threatening to happen years down the road. It is hitting some regions and some species even now. Many families are already paying higher prices for smaller fillets of fish, many recreationists are already being denied fishing permits for species that are no longer abundant, and many coastal communities are already losing hundreds of fishing jobs.

     How much longer your favorite fish will be available to catch and to eat, depends largely on whether the Congress will address well-documented problems with the ways Councils manage this Nation’s fisheries. Our management system is failing consumers and fishermen not because we don’t know enough to manage fishery resources effectively, but because special interests, rather than science, are dictating management decisions.

     For almost three decades, reports have highlighted the need for science to guide management of our Nation’s fisheries. Most recently, the Administration’s Commission on Ocean Policy’s Final Report clearly stated the need to separate scientific decisions regarding total allowable catch from decisions regarding how that catch is allocated.

     HR 1431, the Fisheries Science and Management Enhancement Act of 2005, which I introduced this March, along with my colleague Mr. Farr and several other lawmakers, would put accountability back into the management of our seas.

     This legislation would require Councils to set management measures that are consistent with the advice of scientists, provide training for new Council members and establish a more organized, cooperative research and data collection program.

     According to a recent economic analysis, the value of this Nation’s fishery resources would be nearly three times its current value if Councils dedicated their efforts to rebuilding stocks rather than allowing overfishing to continue.

     We owe tomorrow’s fishing communities the profits of robust fisheries. We owe American families an affordable array of seafood. And we owe our kids and grandkids the chance to drop a line off the end of a dock and experience the old art of fishing.

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman.