Section 206(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act sets forth Congressional findings, including inter alia that "the continued widespread use of large-scale driftnets beyond the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of any nation is a destructive fishing practice that poses a threat to living marine resources of the world's oceans." It also notes the expansion of large-scale driftnet fishing into other oceans and acknowledges the June 30, 1992, global driftnet moratorium called for by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 44/225. Finally, Section 206(b) recognizes the moratorium on the use of large-scale driftnets agreed through the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific, also known as the Wellington Convention.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)