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Congress is in the midst of reviewing and renewing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and its actions will directly affect this community of fishermen. The industrialized fishing sector has already made its voice heard and is lobbying hard on Capitol Hill for its interests. What concerns me is not that the factory trawlers and huge processors are lobbying, it is that many fishing communities could be negatively affected if we are not represented as well. That is why independent fishermen need to speak up.

The legislation currently in the House of Representatives contains provisions that are bad for independent fishermen and fishing communities. It lacks essential measures we need to protect our access to fish. The misnamed "American Fisheries Management and Marine Life Enhancement Act," House Resolution 5018, creates unnecessary loopholes that allow fishery managers to put off measures to rebuild over-fished populations. Their excuse is that fishery managers need more flexibility, but fishermen know that in this case more flexibility simply means more over-fishing. Increasing the amount of time a fish population remains over-fished means fishermen have to wait even longer before they are able to catch fish from a healthy population in large enough amounts to make a good living. Delaying rebuilding is bad for fish, bad for fishermen and bad for fishing communities.

The bill also exempts fishery managers from complying with important elements under the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA gives local communities a say over federal actions that will directly affect them. This bill, however, would limit that say in the case of decisions made by federal fishery managers. Independent fishermen and fishing communities deserve a say in whether or not the federal government should proceed with major actions affecting their communities.

Perhaps, most importantly from the perspective of independent fishermen, this bill fails to require strong national standards for individual fishing quota programs. Congress must establish national guidelines, including conservation and performance standards, for quotas to protect fishermen and fish populations from the recognized problems associated with poorly regulated quotas and to prohibit the establishment of separate processor quotas.

Congress could complete its review and renewal of the Magnuson-Stevens Act this summer. Independent fishermen need to speak out and make sure that Congress protects and strengthens the law in the process. We should all call on our member of Congress to oppose the House resolution and support amendments that fix this flawed bill.

• Amy Grondin resides in Port Townsend, Wash., and runs a commercial salmon tender in Alaska.