In 2006 Congress re-authorized Magunson-Stevens and authorized NOAA / National Marine Fisheries to change the way they collect data and were given until 2010 to have the information necessary to better manage the public resource.
On March 20, 2009, Dr. Jane Lubchenco was sworn in as the Administrator of NOAA. She is a product of the Pew Foundation and a staunch environmentalist. Instead of using the money appropriated to NMFS to collect data for the 2010 assessment, Dr. Lubichinco took it upon herself to use the funding to implement a plan for sector management for commercial fishermen and a catch share program for recreational fishermen.
At the same time NMFS has managed to close nearly half of the offshore waters to fishing in California and has also successfully closed hundreds of miles of bottom fishing off Florida, Georgia, south and North Carolina.
Recently, NOAA / NMFS announced that NMFS has delayed a ban on all bottom fishing in a 5,000 square mile area of the South Atlantic until June 2011. The delay allows time to consider the results of a new scientific assessment of Red Snapper which has shown the population is in better condition than was previously estimated; however, the existing ban on commercial and recreational fishing for Red Snapper in Federal waters from North Carolina to Florida remains in effect.
We have known for some time that the Red Snapper stock is healthy but they never listen to the fisherman.
Magnuson clearly states that economics must be factored in all decisions, something that was certainly not done. Georgetown Economic Services (GES) conducted a survey showing that roughly 1,300 stores selling bait and tackle will directly be affected by the bottom fishing ban. These businesses will lose an estimated $78 million in sales in first year of the ban alone. This equates to an average loss of $60,000 in sales per store. In addition, the survey found that 578 jobs have been affected.
We all know that Red Snapper is at the forefront in bottom species.
Florida senator Bill Nelson and David Vitter from Louisiana co-sponsored Senate bill S.3594. There is also a bill in the House, H.R.6316, called the Fishery Conservation Transition Act. The only thing these bills do is to delay the closure. We don’t need more delays. We need responsible, accurate science to effectively manage the resource. When Magnuson was re-authorized in 2006 it clearly mandated just that but NOAA / NMFS defied the intent of the act.
We must continue our pursuit for our right to fish!
Please comment on this or any other issue you find posted on this site.
I am an outdoor columnist and avid angler. The red snapper fishing here is the off-the-wall great. Listen, if they really want to protect the snapper, we all know what area of the fishery needs more regulations — the commercial sector. They are out there 24-7, 365 days a year. As for recreational anglers that may target snapper once a month at most,I seriously doubt if they seriously impact the stocks especially since the strict limits on snapper were put in place. Finally, like just about everything else in Washington, the lobbyists influence regulations more so than scientific data. Get the commercial fisherman lobbying groups out of Washington and everything will be just fine.
By Collins Doughtie on 2010 12 10
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