Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, U.S. fisheries management is a transparent and robust process of science, management, innovation, and collaboration with the fishing industry. There are three pillars of fisheries management:

Science: our rigorous, peer-reviewed process provides fishery managers with the information necessary to manage the long-term sustainability of U.S. fisheries.

Management: the science-based process ensures continuous improvement of fishery management plans in response to new information.

Enforcement: by overseeing compliance with all applicable laws, we ensure accountability to the resource and the economies and communities that rely on it.

This system is designed to prevent overfishing, quickly stop overfishing when it occurs, and rebuild overfished stocks.

As part of this process, the regional fishery management councils work to provide fishing opportunities and create economic benefits in their region while also meeting conservation and management requirements. The councils develop management plans that prevent overfishing, allocate fishing quotas to different fishing groups, implement gear restrictions, and protect sensitive habitats. To ensure transparency and incorporate stakeholder feedback, proposed decisions are subject to review and comment by scientists, stakeholders, and the public.