Posts Tagged ‘Gulf of Mexico’
Mountain of evidence points to allocation increases for recreational anglers in the Gulf
With the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council set to review allocations for Gulf red snapper and grouper during its meeting this week in Tampa, Coastal Conservation Association has presented a summary of 19 studies going back to 2000 that show the economic benefits of shifting a greater portion of the allocation of these two species to the recreational sector. All of the studies, conducted by private, academic and government scientists, have been presented to the Gulf Council previously and the Council has chosen to take no affirmative action.
“We’re not talking about one or two studies, we’re talking about an overwhelming body of work spanning more than a decade by some of the most respected economists in fisheries management,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “The best available economic science clearly supports increasing the recreational allocation. It is difficult to understand why NOAA Fisheries has not acted on these studies before now to produce the best possible outcome for the economies of the Gulf states and for the nation.”
CCA supports basing allocations on modern economic and demographic criteria that reflect current and future realities for these fisheries rather than outdated catch histories. Management schemes that give away public resources through measures such as sector separation and catch shares lock-in outdated allocations to individual businesses, making those resources subsequently unavailable to respond to economic and demographic changes.
“We urge NOAA Fisheries to use the considerable economic information it has in hand to increase opportunities for the entire recreational sector, comprised of hundreds of thousands of anglers,” said Brewer. “Recreational angling is an economic engine that should be enhanced during these tough economic times that are impacting every sector of our society. These 19 studies indicate that a relatively simple allocation shift would immediately produce economic benefits to anglers and the businesses that depend on them.”
CCA supplied the summary of economic data to Gulf Council members and NOAA staff in a letter to Council Chairman Robert Gill. CCA urged the Council to act on the information and look objectively towards maximizing the benefits generated for the entire nation by these valuable marine resources.
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Tags: grouper, Gulf of Mexico, reallocation, red snapper
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
Sportsman SD and HD Now Available as A la Carte Option; New Subscriber Proceeds To Support Gulf Coast Fund & Coastal Conservation Association
New Berlin, Wis. (August 31, 2010) – Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, today announced the network is available in both SD and HD as an a la carte option on DISH Network Ch. 395. In an effort to raise awareness and funds for Gulf regions working to recover from the recent oil spill disaster, Sportsman Channel will funnel this year’s proceeds from the a la carte pricing to a special “Sportsman’s Fund” created with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) to benefit Gulf coast habitat restoration and research. CCA is one of the largest non-profit marine conservation groups in America.
To help support and bring awareness to these efforts, DISH Network is offering a free preview of Sportsman Channel Sept. 3 – 28. Additionally, Sportsmen Channel and its parent company, InterMedia Outdoors, are utilizing all print, on-air and digital assets to further promote the cause.
Outdoor enthusiasts can subscribe to Sportsman Channel a la carte by visiting www.dish.com or calling (800) 894-9131. Sportsman Channel and Sportsman HD launched in DISH Network’s America’s Top 250 package in February 2010.
“Because we’re donating our monthly fee to CCA, every new Sportsman Channel SD and HD a la carte subscriber on DISH Network is helping Gulf region sportsmen, families and wildlife,” said Sportsman CEO Gavin Harvey. “We are proud to join DISH Network and CCA in this drive to raise money and also to raise awareness that Gulf communities still need our support.”
CCA has worked closely with government and regulatory agencies since the beginning of the Gulf oil disaster to ensure the Gulf’s habitats, fishing industries, marine life and resources are adequately represented and supported. CCA’s history and experience in marine habitat restoration and coastal conservation will continue to be a vital component in the recovery and restoration of Gulf marine resources.
“We are thankful to have this unique partnership with Sportsman Channel and DISH Network that helps to raise awareness and vital funds to restore the Gulf of Mexico,” said Pat Murray, CCA president. “There are some very positive programs and signs of progress occurring throughout the Gulf, but there is still much to do. This generous program will be an important part of restoring and enhancing the Gulf’s fragile habitats.”
SPORTSMAN CHANNEL: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Sportsman Channel is now available in HD, check with your local cable or satellite provider. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches 27 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com, follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (www.twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl), become a Fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sportsmanchannel and download Sportsman App at www.itunes.com/appstore
ABOUT CCA: Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. CCA’s strength is drawn from the tens of thousands of recreational saltwater anglers who make up its membership. From South Texas to the Puget Sound to the upper reaches of Maine, CCA’s grassroots influence is felt through state capitols, U.S. Congress and, most importantly, in the conservation and restoration of our coastal marine resources. Visit www.JoinCCA.org for more information.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Sportsman Channel
Michelle Scheuermann, 262.432.9100 ext. 111;mscheuermann@thesportsmanchannel.com
Amy Sorrells, 404-550-4885; amyssorrells@comcast.net
Coastal Conservation Association
Ted Venker, 713-626-4234; twvenker@JoinCCA.org
Tags: CCA Building Conservation, Gulf of Mexico, habitat, oil spill
Posted in CCA Atlantic States, CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico, CCA Pacific Northwest, CCA South Atlantic | No Comments »
April 14, 2010
Peter Hood
Southeast Regional Office
NMFS, 263
13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Mr. Hood,
The Coastal Conservation Association represents more than 80,000 members in state chapters along the Gulf Coast. We have two major concerns to address in this letter on the proposed rule that would increase the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper, while enacting the shortest recreational red snapper season in history.
Click HERE for the complete comments.
Tags: Gulf of Mexico, red snapper
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
Shortened recreational season brings allocation issue to the forefront
Recreational anglers were cheered earlier this year by news that after decades of federal management, culminating with a two-fish bag limit and a 74-day season in 2009, scientists suddenly announced that the Gulf red snapper stock is no longer undergoing overfishing, which is a significant step on the road to recovery.
However, the reward for decades of sacrifice announced at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting this week is a good news/bad news scenario for recreational anglers who will see their quota increase to about 3.4 million pounds in 2010, from 2.5 million pounds in 2009, but will also see their season shrink by at least two weeks.
“Thanks to a combination of factors, including significant bycatch reduction measures for the shrimp fleet, the stock is improving,” said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA Gulf Fisheries consultant. “But clearly the Council now needs to take into account the problems caused by the increasing average size of the fish being caught and take a long overdue look at reallocation.”
Even with a recovering stock, the hundreds of thousands of anglers pursuing red snapper in the Gulf are still left with just 49 percent of the total allowable catch, while about 400 commercial fishermen are currently entitled to 51 percent of the harvest through a catch share system. A rebounding stock means recreational anglers are finding it easier to catch red snapper, and the fish they catch are bigger. With a quota set in total pounds, the only way the government is capable of controlling recreational harvest is to shorten the season.
“Based on current data and from reports by recreational fisherman themselves, it appears that we have a strongly recovering red snapper fishery with larger fish being taken by recreational anglers which tend to skew the data on the pounds of fish being caught by recreational fishermen,” said Tim Strickland, chairman of CCA’s Gulf Fisheries Committee. “The inequitable result being proposed is the shortest season ever for recreational fishermen in 2010.”
CCA has long called for reallocation of fisheries where appropriate based on an economic analysis to provide the greatest economic benefit to the country.
Tags: Gulf of Mexico, reallocation, red snapper, red snapper regulations
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
The Coastal Conservation Association, representing more than 80,000 members in state chapters along the Gulf Coast, has major concerns about several aspects of Amendment 32 dealing with new regulations to end overfishing for gag grouper.
According to the results of last year’s stock assessment developed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), it appears that reductions in harvest on the order of 75 percent may be considered for this fishery. Additionally, at the last meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the issue of allowing fish traps to be reintroduced into the commercial grouper fishery was added to the current round of public hearings as an alternative gear to reduce sea turtle mortality associated with bottom longline gear. CCA wants the fish trap issue removed from the amendment and destructive longline gear eliminated from the grouper fisheries
Fish traps were removed from the Gulf of Mexico in 2007 after years of controversy over their destructiveness and have also been outlawed in the Atlantic and state waters. This gear is “invisible” once deployed and ample evidence has been supplied by state and federal law enforcement agents to conclude that it is nearly impossible to observe the gear and enforce any escape gap or panel regulations. The traps have a high rate of loss and, once lost, they become ghost traps, filling with fish that die and attract other fish in a long-lasting cycle. The traps fish 24 hours a day and can out-compete other gears.
Further, the traps are not needed in the commercial fishery as a substitute for longline gear as ample effort exists in the vertical line (bandit or hook-and-line gear) sector to take the allowable catch. Allowing any use of fish traps in the Gulf will create conflicts and make it difficult to enforce their prohibition from state waters, the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary and South Atlantic waters.
There exists ample evidence of the destructive and uncontrollable nature of fish traps in the record of the Gulf Council’s previous deliberations that resulted in the banning of this gear. Nothing has changed since that time and the use of this gear should not even be considered.
CCA urges the Council and the NMFS to focus on alternatives that effectively reduce destructive commercial fishing effort to the greatest extent possible rather than searching for ways to perpetuate a marginal commercial fishery.
Regarding any proposed regulations to end overfishing of gag grouper, CCA requested five years ago that the Gulf Council develop formal allocations for grouper based on maximizing the value and benefits of this common property resource. The Council began an amendment to do this and formed action has been taken. Given the apparent necessity of future restrictions on gag harvest, we believe that it is absolutely necessary for the Council to finally include allocation of this resource in Amendment 32. The Gulf Council’s Grouper IFQ program allocates and grants exclusive right of access to more than 65 percent of all the Gulf red and gag grouper to a limited number of commercial interests. The magnitude of this giveaway of a public fishery is unprecedented. NMFS must stop enacting programs which subsidize marginal commercial fisheries while strangling the much more valuable recreational grouper fisheries.
CCA will develop a formal position on new quotas, size limits, bag limits and seasons for gag in the coming months and will bring these ideas back to the public hearings on this amendment. In the meantime, CCA urges the Council to act responsibly and not risk destroying the very valuable economic benefits that flow into the Gulf states and this nation from recreational fishing for grouper and other reef fish.
Tags: allocation, Amendment 32, fish traps, grouper, Gulf of Mexico
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
The Coastal Conservation Association, representing more than 80,000 members in state chapters along the Gulf Coast, has been concerned over the use of bottom longline gear in the commercial Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish fishery for well over a decade.
Bottom longline gear is exceptionally destructive. It destroys bottom habitat and has a serious finfish bycatch problem. Its devastating impact was most recently highlighted by the loss of as much as 800,000 pounds of red snapper discarded dead annually by the longline fleet operating off the west coast of Florida. The gear has been prohibited from use inside of 50 fathoms in the western Gulf since 1990.
Recent research has revealed that bottom longline gear, along with longline gear set for sharks, is taking more than 20 times the number of sea turtles anticipated by the 2005 biological opinion required by the Endangered Species Act. The loss of more than 900 sea turtles a year to bottom longline gear is the most egregious affront to U.S. efforts to protect endangered sea turtles since the shrimp trawl mortalities were addressed more than 20 years ago with the implementation of turtle excluder devices (TEDs).
This mortality of sea turtles should be a source of serious concern to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Gulf Council, and all those involved in the management of this country’s marine resources.
None of the preferred options currently listed in the DEIS are likely to reduce turtle interactions to levels identified as acceptable by the most recent biological opinion. Additionally, recent discussions to evaluate the reintroduction of fish traps, which were banned as excessively destructive gear by the Gulf Council in 1996, as a substitute to longline gear are simply alarming. Rather than searching for ways to perpetuate a marginal commercial fishery, CCA urges the Council and the NMFS to focus on alternatives that effectively reduce destructive commercial fishing effort to the greatest extent possible.
Toward that end, it remains CCA’s position that bottom longline gear should be prohibited inside 50 fathoms as a permanent resolution to this problem. Such an action would achieve a 94 percent reduction from current levels of turtle takes to about 220 per three-year period.
There is no reasonable or rational argument for allowing the loss of endangered sea turtles to continue under the watch of these institutions charged with managing the valuable marine resources of the Gulf of Mexico.
Tags: grouper, Gulf of Mexico, longline gear, sea turtles
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
Proposal to bring back outlawed gear stuns conservationists
An unusual alliance of environmental groups and commercial longliners is exploring the use of controversial fish traps in the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery, leaving long-time participants in federal fishery management issues surprised at the re-emergence of the highly destructive gear. Fish traps were banned by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in 1996, but were not fully phased out of the Gulf until 2006.
“There are so many things we should be working on for the conservation of our marine resources, yet here we are with another attempt by the environmental community to keep commercial fishing operations in business at all costs,” said Pat Murray, president. “It is just baffling that fish traps are back in the discussion, especially when some of these same environmental groups are pushing to give away permanent harvesting rights to the commercial fishing industry through catch share programs. It is difficult to comprehend the ultimate goal of these efforts.”
A workshop on the use of fish traps is being sponsored next week in St. Petersburg by the environmental groups Oceana, The Ocean Conservancy and Environmental Defense Fund, and by commercial fishing organizations Southern Offshore Fishing Association, Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance and the Gulf Fishermen’s Association. Commercial longliners in the Gulf of Mexico are killing excessive numbers of threatened loggerhead sea turtles and the commercial longline fleet has requested the use of fish traps in return for reducing the longline fishing effort. The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council has agreed to place the use of fish traps as an alternative in its proposals for Reef Fish Amendment 31.
“It should be abundantly clear that substituting one harmful gear for another harmful gear that has already been banned in U.S. waters in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic is completely unacceptable,” said Russell Nelson, CCA’s Gulf Fisheries consultant. “Instead of searching for ways to perpetuate these fisheries which are rife with problems, the focus should be on finding ways to reduce destructive commercial fishing effort to the greatest extent possible.”
Among the issues leading to the ban on fish traps in 1996 was the prevalence of lost and abandoned gear that continue to catch and kill untold numbers of fish and other marine life for years. In the South Atlantic region, when fish trappers were allowed to leave traps in the water the Florida Department of Natural Resources documented loss rates of 25, 63 and even 100 percent in some years. Managers also found that traps are capable of exerting more harvesting pressure than traditional hook and line gear because the traps are “fishing” for hours or days at a time.
Click HERE to see comments in opposition to fish traps prepared by CCA Florida.
Tags: destructive gear, fish traps, Gulf of Mexico, reef fish
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No 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 »
Angler concerns over catch shares, aquaculture gaining traction
The pace and breadth of federal oceans and fisheries policies have caused apprehension in the angling community in recent months, but a pair of amendments to a Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill filed by Sen. David Vitter (R-La) last week signals that some elected officials are concerned as well. The amendments, proposed as part of spending bill HR 2847, would force the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration to do new analyses of offshore fish farming and catch-share programs in federal fisheries.
“Coastal states are better stewards of fishery resources than the National Marine Fisheries Service. If catch shares are to be applied to mixed fisheries off Louisiana, then Louisianans should be able to protect our access to public fishery resources by having some level of input ‑ or at least an idea of how NMFS plans on resolving fishery allocation disputes and what forms of management and data collection will be utilized,” Sen. Vitter said. “In regards to aquaculture practices, I find it unacceptable that the Obama administration is looking at issuing permits for offshore aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico without any idea as to the form of regulation they intend to use to prevent adverse environmental impacts and the escape of fin-fish species. The protection and development of Louisiana’s marine resources are something I take very seriously, and I’m very concerned about where the administration is going to be landing on these issues.”
One of the amendments would block any offshore aquaculture permits until the Department of Commerce completes a new assessment of how aquaculture will be regulated to prevent environmental damage, while the other calls for a report on how catch share programs propose to collect data on commercial and recreational fishers and resolve allocation disparities between the two sectors.
“CCA was honored to host Sen. Vitter at meetings in Texas and Louisiana recently to discuss many issues that are important to recreational anglers and we are encouraged by these amendments,” said Patrick Murray, CCA executive vice president. “Anglers have felt for some time that the new Administration is not overly concerned about the impacts some of its proposed programs and policies could have on the recreational angling community. Sen. Vitter understands how important these issues are to us and we look forward to working with him on marine issues in the future.”
Tags: Catch Shares, Gulf of Mexico
Posted in Catch Shares | No Comments »
Research indicates red snapper stocks may be in better shape than previously thought
A new study by Dr. Bob Shipp, head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, and Dr. Steve Bortone, the new executive director of the Gulf Council, suggests that red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico are far from decimated. In fact, their research indicates that snapper are thriving due to the creation of the largest artificial reef system in the world and they claim that evidence to the contrary may be the result of outdated scientific models.
Much of the Gulf of Mexico was once a featureless plain, but more than 5,000 oil rigs off Texas and Louisiana and 20,000 artificial reefs off Alabama have been added over the past 50 years. For a species such as red snapper, which tends to concentrate around hard formations, the new structures opened up thousands of square miles of new habitat and dispersed the population into areas outside its historical center. The research by Shipp and Bortone indicates that the models being used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that show red snapper are severely overfished are not adequately accounting for the new structure.
“We’ve heard anecdotal evidence of a thriving Gulf red snapper population from our members in the fishing community for quite some time now,” said Patrick D. Murray, vice president of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). “This new report offers an interesting explanation for it. The research by Dr. Shipp and Dr. Bortone is an indication that the anecdotal evidence should be examined more seriously.”
The new study, published in Reviews in Fisheries Science, comes at a time when recreational anglers are limited to two fish per day during the shortest red snapper season ever in 2009, and offers hope that red snapper may be in far better shape than anyone thought.
“This research should be thoroughly examined by NMFS and other scientists,” said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA Gulf Fisheries consultant. “Recreational anglers have proven that they are willing to follow the best science for the resource, but it is incumbent on federal managers to ensure that we do indeed have the best science available.”
Tags: bob shipp, Gulf of Mexico, red snapper, research
Posted in CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
