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  3. In an effort to sustain commercial and recreational fishing for the next sev

In an effort to sustain commercial and recreational fishing for the next sev

游客2024-09-22  29
问题     In an effort to sustain commercial and recreational fishing for the next several decades, the United States this year will become the first country to impose catch limits for every species it manages, from Alaskan pollock(鳕鱼)to Caribbean queen conch(海螺). Although the policy has attracted scant attention outside the community of those who fish in America and the officials who regulate them, it marks an important shift in a pursuit that has helped define the country since its founding.
    Catch limits are intended to protect the 528 species in federally managed fisheries. Unlike most recent environmental policy debates, which have divided neatly along party lines, this one is about a policy that was forged under President George W. Bush and finalized with President Obama’s backing. "It’s something that’s arguably first in the world," said Eric Schwaab, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s assistant administrator for fisheries. " It’s a huge accomplishment for the country. "     Five years ago, Bush signed a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which dates to the mid-1970s and governs all fishing in U. S. waters. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers joined environmental groups, some fishing interests and scientists to insert language in the law requiring each fishery to have annual catch limits in place by the end of 2011 to end overfishing.
    Although NOAA didn’t meet the law’s Dec. 31 deadline—it has finalized 40 of the 46 fishery management plans that cover all federally managed stocks—officials said they are confident that they will have annual catch limits in place by the time the 2012 fishing year begins for all species.(The timing varies depending on the fish, with some seasons starting May 1 or later.)Some fish, such as mahi-mahi(海豚鱼)and the prize game fish wahoo(刺鲅)in the southeast Atlantic, will have catch limits for the first time.
    Until recently the nation’s regional management councils, which write the rules for the 528 fish stocks under the federal government’s jurisdiction, regularly flouted scientific advice and authorized more fishing than could be sustained, according to scientists. Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environment Group, said the law’s ban on overfishing forced fishery managers to impose limits that some commercial and recreational fishers had resisted for years. " This simple but enormously powerful provision had eluded lawmakers for years and is probably the most important conservation statute ever enacted into America’s fisheries law," Reichert said.
And unlike many environmental regulations, which are written and enforced by Washington officials, the fishing limits were established by regional councils representing a mix of local interests.
    "Because the final decisions were left on the local level, you have a higher assurance of success," said James L. Connaughton, who helped prepare the reauthorization bill while chairing the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "If it had been imposed in Washington, we’d still be stuck in 10 years of litigation. "
    But the changes have not come without a fight, and an array of critics are seeking to undo them. Some commercial and recreational operators, along with their congressional allies, argue that regulators lack the scientific data to justify the restrictions. And they suggest that the ambitious goals the law prescribes, including a mandate to rebuild any depleted fish stock within a decade, are arbitrary and rigid. [br] Which of the following statements about "catch limit policy" is CORRECT?
选项 A、It has attracted the attention of the whole society.
B、It has led to opposite opinions held by lawmakers from different parties.
C、It sets limits on the fishery of all federally managed stocks.
D、All the catch limits have been finalized by the end of the year 2011.
答案 C
解析 细节题。由第一段第一句可知，美国将在今年成为世界上首个对所有纳入渔业管理的物种施以捕捞限制的国家，故[C]为正确答案。由第一段第二句可知，这一政策并未引起美国渔业及渔业监管机构以外的广泛关注，故排除[A]“该政策吸引了全社会的关注”；由第二段第二句可知，不同于最近以党派划分立场的环境政策辩论，该政策先后分别得到了来自共和党和民主党的两任总统的支持，故排除[B]“该政策导致各党派立法者意见相左”；由第四段第一句可知，限捕计划并未在2011年12月31日前全部确定，还有几项计划将在2012年捕鱼季开始前确定，故排除[D]“所有的限捕计划已在2011年截止前完成”。
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