Posts Tagged ‘catch share’
Environmental Defense Fund intervenes to thwart CCA catch share lawsuit
FORT MYERS, FL – Seeking to defend a controversial catch share program for Gulf grouper, the Environmental Defense Fund has been allowed to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Coastal Conservation Association in federal district court that challenges the adoption and implementation of Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan.
“This was not wholly unexpected. After all, EDF has made a considerable investment in its efforts to enact catch share programs in fisheries throughout America so this lawsuit is clearly a threat to their program,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of the CCA National Government Relations Committee. “The intervention of EDF simply clarifies what is at stake for recreational fishermen, not just in the Gulf of Mexico, but everywhere in the country.”
Amendment 29 gives away a majority share of Gulf grouper to the commercial fishing industry through a catch share program that has been heavily promoted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). CCA filed the lawsuit in September of 2009 seeking to overturn the catch share program and force the federal government to consider the impacts of such action on other participants in the fishery.
Catch share systems bestow a percentage of a public fishery resource to a select group of commercial fishermen to harvest for their own personal gain. The commercial entities pay nothing back to the public for the permanent property right to harvest a public resource, but catch share systems are nonetheless being emphasized in federal fisheries as a way to reduce overcapacity and improve economic efficiency in the commercial sector. CCA has contended that in fisheries where there is a large and growing recreational sector, exclusive fishing rights proposals maximize benefits to the commercial fishing industry while ignoring the participation and beneficial economic impacts of recreational fishing.
“As we have seen with the red snapper catch share program, the stakes for recreational anglers are very high in this lawsuit. It continues to surprise me the extent to which the environmental community seems willing to go to keep commercial fishing operations in business at all costs,” said Brewer. “Giving away permanent harvesting rights to the commercial fishing industry through catch share programs is a threat to the future of recreational angling and we are completely committed to seeing this lawsuit through to a successful conclusion. Anglers have too much to lose.”
Tags: Amendment 29, catch share, EDF, lawsuit
Posted in CCA Federal Fisheries, Catch Shares | 2 Comments »
Anglers cite lack of faith in federal catch share management of red snapper, grouper
Faced with the unwelcome reality of having two popular recreational fisheries managed by a fundamentally flawed catch share system in the Gulf of Mexico, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has taken the rare step of not supporting Gulf state compliance with federal regulations for red snapper and grouper. The decision to support “non-concurrence” with federal regulations is a sign of growing dissatisfaction with federal management policies.
“We did not make this decision lightly, because concurrent regulations are clearly a positive for the proper conservation of most fisheries,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations committee. “I cannot recall many times when we have supported non-concurrence, but this is a sign of how little faith anglers have today in the federal government’s management of these fisheries.”
Catch share systems bestow a percentage of a public fishery resource to a select group of commercial fishermen, based on their catch history, to harvest for their own personal gain. CCA has acknowledged that such programs can be effective in purely commercial fisheries, but present serious problems for recreational anglers when applied to fisheries that have both commercial and recreational participation.
“We have seen the problems in the Gulf red snapper fishery that have developed since catch shares were implemented in 2005, and the lack of any effort to fix those issues,” said Brewer. “How can we ask the states to comply with federal regulations that are the product of a dysfunctional management scheme? In fact, CCA has filed a lawsuit to prevent a similar program from being implemented for Gulf grouper. We feel that we have to draw the line somewhere until the government addresses the concerns of recreational anglers.”
In a recent joint letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, the governors of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama joined CCA in its concern over the catch shares concept. In a powerful statement of the states’ apprehension in following a flawed federal program, the governors letter states, “Recreational fishing is an important activity in all of our states, and one that we would like to see continue to grow as a healthy activity for the public. However, we are concerned that NOAA policies could frustrate our ability to do that.”
“We see a major train wreck coming in the Gulf, and not just in these two fisheries,” said Brewer. “We don’t think the states should jump on board.”
Tags: catch share, grouper, Gulf of Mexico, non-concurrence, red snapper
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
States unite to request feds better protect citizens’ access to public resources
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, the governors of four Gulf States have outlined their concerns over the potential negative impacts of catch share programs on their states’ economies and how such programs could restrict citizens’ access to fisheries resources that should be shared by all. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley all signed on to the effort coordinated by Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the Center for Coastal Conservation (Center) to find a better system to balance the needs of the public.
“We have already seen the negative impacts from the Gulf red snapper catch share system and are concerned about negative impacts from the pending program for Gulf grouper,” the governors’ letter stated. “Creating an exclusive harvesting right for a small group of commercial fishermen inherently marginalizes other users who do not have the same access privileges. In purely commercial fisheries this effect can have both economic and management benefits. But when applied in mixed-use fisheries, recreational anglers are forced to focus their efforts in limited state waters or not participate in the fishery at all. Neither of these outcomes is desirable.”
Center for Coastal Conservation President Jeff Angers said, “This show of unity by the Gulf governors in federal fisheries management highlights growing concern that catch share programs that award fixed percentages of various fisheries to commercial fishers are a threat to the future of recreational angling and to the $24 billion it generates annually for the economies of the five Gulf States.”
“Recreational fishing is an important activity in all of our states, and one that we would like to see continue to grow as a healthy activity for the public. However, we are concerned that NOAA policies could frustrate our ability to do that,” the governors’ letter to Locke said.
CCA has filed a lawsuit in federal district court challenging the adoption and implementation of Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan that gives away a majority share of Gulf grouper to the commercial fishing industry through a catch share program. The Obama Administration has made implementation of catch share programs in federal fisheries a priority, and both CCA and the Center have been working at the state and federal level to oppose their use in fisheries that have a large and growing recreational component.
“Catch shares are a huge concern for recreational anglers, and the governors of the Gulf States obviously share those concerns,” said Patrick Murray, CCA executive vice president. “We are extremely grateful to these elected officials for taking such an extraordinary step to raise the visibility of this issue and protect their citizens’ access to public marine resources.”
Click HERE for a copy of the letter from the Gulf governors to Sec. Locke.
Tags: catch share, Gulf governors
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico, Catch Shares | No Comments »
“Fundamentally flawed” catch share program a threat to angling
HOUSTON, TX – Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Fort Myers, Florida, challenging the adoption and implementation of Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan approved by United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on August 30. Amendment 29 gives away a majority share of Gulf grouper to the commercial fishing industry through a catch share program.
“CCA has stated from the beginning that this management action is fundamentally flawed,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of the CCA National Government Relations Committee. “In moving forward with Amendment 29, the federal government has disregarded the multiple provisions in the Magnuson Stevens Act designed to govern the impacts of such action on other participants in the fishery. The only ones considered in this amendment are the commercial fishermen.”
Catch share systems bestow a percentage of a public fishery resource to a select group of commercial fishermen, based on their catch history, to harvest for their own personal gain. The commercial entities pay nothing back to the public for the permanent property right to harvest a public resource, but catch share systems are nonetheless being emphasized in federal fisheries as a way to reduce overcapacity and improve economic efficiency in the commercial sector. CCA has contended that in fisheries where there is a large and growing recreational sector, exclusive fishing rights proposals maximize benefits to the commercial fishing industry while ignoring the participation and beneficial economic impacts of recreational fishing.
“In more than 30 years of practice in fisheries law, I have not seen a more arbitrary action than this one,” said Robert G. Hayes, CCA general counsel. CCA has asked for an expedited hearing and expects the government to answer the lawsuit within the next 60 days. “We are going to proceed as quickly as the court will allow to prevent the implementation of this egregious decision.”
Click HERE to see official comments CCA submitted to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on Amendment 29 in June 2009.
Tags: Amendment 29, catch share, Gulf grouper
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico, Catch Shares | No Comments »
Approval of grouper giveaway pushes recreational anglers to the brink
United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke has approved Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan, giving away a majority share of Gulf grouper to the commercial fishing industry in spite of vigorous opposition from Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). CCA had delineated several fatal flaws contained within Amendment 29, including its failure to comply with federal law, its myopic focus on the commercial sector and the complete exclusion of recreational concerns, and its disregard for recent critical developments within the commercial sector itself.
“This Amendment fails first and foremost because there is no consideration of any component of the fishery other than the directed commercial fishermen and their related infrastructure,” said Matthew Paxton, CCA federal lobbyist. “The entire process assumes participation only by the commercial industry without any basis for such determination.”
CCA cited three specific recent developments that cast considerable doubt on the decision process leading up to this amendment and its future viability: the discovery of a high bycatch of listed sea turtles by bottom longliners in the grouper fishery; a new gag grouper assessment which could trigger a significant reduction in the allowed harvest in the fishery, and the emerging economic analyses on the contribution of the recreational angling sector to the economies of Gulf states.
“This amendment should have been rejected by the Secretary and returned to the Gulf Council for further consideration. The interim allocation in Amendment 29 was developed without supplying the economic impact analysis that is required by federal law,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “By allowing this amendment to proceed, federal managers have all but declared that recreational angling is not relevant to them and that sets a dangerous precedent for this new Administration. This failure to adhere to commonly accepted practices of good policy formation leaves us no choice but to pursue every means available to reverse this decision.”
Click here for CCA’s official comments submitted on Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan.
Tags: Amendment 29, catch share, Gulf grouper
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico, Catch Shares | No Comments »
Controversial paper accomplished goal by shining light on red snapper management failures
At a Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting this week in Orange Beach, Alabama, CCA Gulf Fisheries Consultant Dr. Russell Nelson elaborated on a controversial discussion document designed to spark debate on the issue of catch share programs and their impact on the recreational Gulf red snapper fishery. His presentation on the Free Market Approach to Gulf Red Snapper demonstrated to both fishery managers and the angling public how unfair the current management system is to anglers and how extreme the impacts could be.
“The intent was to create a platform that ensures recreational anglers are not left out of the debate and out of the fishery,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “Even though the recommendations will never be implemented, CCA developed this discussion document to force managers to consider the lengths they would have to go to create a level playing field for recreational anglers under the current system. As it stands now, recreational anglers do not have access to 51 percent of the red snapper harvest. A handful of commercial fishers are profiting from the exclusive right to this public resource while hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers are left on the dock with shortened seasons and shrinking bag limits.”
CCA offered the Free Market Approach to Gulf Red Snapper to the Gulf Council in April as a concept document to challenge a failed management paradigm that now threatens recreational participation in the snapper fishery. The document presented a completely out-of-the-box approach to management of red snapper based wholly on a free-market system rather than an unfair sector allocation.
“Recreational anglers shouldn’t be forced to even consider options like buying access to a public resource that has been given away to industrial harvesters, but that’s where the Administration’s red snapper catch share program is going to leave us if we don’t create the debate and find a workable alternative,” said Brewer. “The public needs to realize how unfair this situation really is.”
“This discussion document was created to be very broad and very fluid, and clearly it has gotten us to where we are now with this debate. With the creation of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Task Force on Catch Shares and the Limited Access Privilege Program Advisory Panel, it is clear this issue is finally starting to get some attention,” said Nelson.
Tags: catch share, red snapper
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
