200 



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control of our resource notwithstanding the fact that their 

 foreign-flag vessels are gone. 



If we are serious about Americanization, we should also give 

 the American consumers of our fishery resources a place at the 

 table. They too are properly entitled to share in the wealth of 

 this national resource. One way to do this is to amend the 

 definition of what constitutes "optimum yield" under the Act to 

 expressly recognize United States consumers as a component of 

 what is in the greatest overall benefit to the nation. 14 



Strengthening the National Standards 



The cornerstone set of principles, as originally conceived 

 by the framers of the FCMA, were the National Standards together 

 with a review process that would ensure an overall level of 

 fairness and consistency in the way in which fishery management 

 plans would be developed and implemented. One way this was done 

 was to give the Secretary the customary authority to establish 

 mandatory guidelines for the implementation of these standards. 

 In a subsequent amendment to the Act this authority was taken 

 away with a curious parenthetical addition which stated simply 

 that such guidelines "shall not have the force and effect of 

 law" — thus gutting the cornerstone standards of the Act from 

 any real ability to be enforced. 15 Imagine the impact on the 



16 U.S.C. 1802(21) (A) . 

 16 U.S.C. § 1851(b) . 



