As members of the faith community from across the nation, we are writing to urge you to act to protect the health of God’s oceans and the creatures that fill them by protecting and strengthening the conservation provisions contained in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The Lord has blessed us with a planet filled with natural treasures. God’s Creation is teeming with fish and wildlife, God’s gifts that bring us beauty and help sustain us. Today, we have an opportunity to help protect some of this precious gift, and specifically to prevent the destruction and depletion of the remaining populations of fish in God’s waters. We ask you please to help save a part of Creation that is so important to us and to future generations.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act contains several provisions critical for helping to protect God’s oceans from overfishing, habitat destruction and bycatch (the catching and killing of non-target fish and ocean wildlife). These provisions are essential in helping us fulfill our obligation to act as responsible stewards of God’s Creation.

As elected leaders, you have a special duty to use your influence and to speak out on the obligation of humans to exercise stewardship of God’s Creation with concern and diligence, to care for and protect Creation.

Please help fulfill our shared spiritual duty to care for God’s Creation by protecting and strengthening the conservation provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Thank you very much for taking the time to consider this request.