Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2004

The Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2004 proposed significant changes to how U.S. regional fishing councils are organized and how they make decisions regarding ocean resources. The bill sought to shift the authority for appointing council members to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and required stricter financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules for those members.

For the public, this legislation aimed to ensure that fishing limits and habitat protections were based more directly on recommendations from independent scientific and technical teams. By establishing mandatory catch limits and specific protections for endangered species and fish habitats, the bill intended to prioritize long-term environmental sustainability and transparency in the management of federal waters.