But it allowed U.S. fishermen to expand effort without adequate restraint, resulting in an ever-increasing number of overfished fisheries. Fishery managers not only routinely failed to prevent overfishing and the enduring social, economic and ecological losses it caused, but often bowed to short-term economic interests and passed measures that were too little, too late.
Many overfished fisheries remain in a depleted condition today.
In October 1996, Congress reauthorized the FCMA, formally titled the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, by passing the Sustainable Fisheries Act. The SFA contains extensive reforms and conservation measures in response to the problems in U.S. fisheries. Three of the most critical problems are widespread overfishing, the waste and threats to fisheries from high levels of bycatch, and degradation of the marine and coastal habitats necessary to support fish and fishing. The SFA brought new mandates for fishery management plans. Before, fishery managers were not required by law to prevent overfishing and did not have to address either bycatch or habitat needs.