The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA) was adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the U.S. President in January 2007. This Act contains a number of new provisions that will significantly shape the focus of fisheries management in the coming years. Importantly, the MSRA pays an unprecedented level of attention to international fisheries. The overarching approach is a call for the Secretary of Commerce to work multilaterally through various fora, such as Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs), to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs). The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the implementing agency within the Department of Commerce for the authorities and responsibilities under the MSRA.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)