NOAA is hailing the passage by Congress of a bill to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This final step was years in the making, with much debate and compromise between the House, Senate the administration, conservation groups and fishing industries. "All of us at the Department of Commerce and the NOAA Fisheries Service are pleased with the tremendous support for the bill from our constituents," said Bill Hogarth, director of the NOAA Fisheries Service. "Along with commercial and recreational fishing groups and environmental organizations, we have found common ground in our shared goal to secure strong fishing industries and healthy marine ecosystems, and this legislation will help us achieve that goal."
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