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RFA Testifies At Congressional Hearing On Mamnuson
Anglers Charge NMFS With Failing To Meet Mandates
October 28, 2009 - On October 27, the
House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife
held an oversight hearing on implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2006 (MSA).
Testifying on
behalf the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), Herb Moore, Jr.
charged the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) with managing
the recreational fishing sector
using poor statistical data and by attempting to meet arbitrary
rebuilding timelines without adequately fulfilling their own
commitments.
"Unfortunately, many in the recreational fishing public have come to
view our federal government as the enemy - having experienced
decades of larger and larger minimum size limits, shorter seasons
and smaller bag limits in fisheries that we know are healthy," Moore
said, adding "We believe NMFS needs a complete overhaul in how it
views recreational fishing and we believe this Congress can help."
Congress
mandated extensive improvements to recreational data collection
programs in the 2006 MSA
reauthorization. "Unfortunately, NMFS has not met its mandates," Moore said. "The problems with MRFSS
have been well-documented for years and it took an act of Congress to get NMFS to
move on this, but the process has been slow."
South Carolina
charter and party boat Captain Mark Brown said "NMFS continues to move forward like a run-away train,"
and testified that MSA requirements were leading to the draconian
management measures on the red snapper fishery. "These
measures are due to the mandates of the rigid and inflexible
timeframes set forth within the MSA and are being forced upon the
fishermen without sound statistics and without a clear understanding
of why fisheries managers are forced to accept scientific
information that makes absolutely no sense," Brown said, while
vocalizing his support for the Flexibility in Rebuilding
American Fisheries Act.
Sponsored in
the House by Rep. Frank Pallone (HR 1584) and in the Senate by Sen. Charles Schumer (S 1255), this
"flexibility" legislation would extend the time period for
rebuilding certain overfished fisheries provided that certain
conditions are met. Pallone
noted that because the best available science is generally
uncertain, it creates total
allowable landing figures that unduly restrict the fishermen, which contributes to his concerns about the
rebuilding targets. "Other factors should be included in determining rebuilding
targets besides fishing, for instance are environmental factors such as the
development and degradation of estuaries," Pallone said, adding that the best way to
address these issues in his opinion is through HR 1584 and S 1255.
"Magnuson is
clearly a broken instrument of the law that needs to be fixed to
allow for more access, conservation, and rebuilding," said Capt.
Brown in his testimony.
Public Hearings for
Snapper Grouper Fishery Begin Next Week
Issues include area closures to end overfishing of red snapper
stock, deepwater closures for other species
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is holding a series of
public hearings regarding federal fisheries management measures
proposed for 73 species in the snapper grouper management complex
within the South Atlantic region. The measures will impact both
commercial and recreational fishermen and include a proposed closure
of the red snapper fishery to help end overfishing. Large area
closures where fishing for all snapper grouper species would be
prohibited are also being considered in order to address the discard
mortality associated with red snapper. The alternatives for the
closures stretch from offshore of South Carolina southward to Cape
Canaveral, Florida. Alternatives for a permitted fishing zone are
also included as part of the red snapper management options. To
protect warsaw grouper and speckled hind from overfishing, the
Council is considering a deepwater closure throughout federal
waters. These measures are being proposed in response to mandates
outlined in the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act that require ending overfishing and the
rebuilding of stocks. Several other management measures are also
under consideration.
The Council is soliciting public comment on three separate
amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan:
• Amendment 17A to address overfishing and the overfished stock
status of red snapper. The amendment establishes Annual Catch Limits
(ACLs) and Accountability Measures (AMs) for red snapper, long-term
measures to rebuild the red snapper stock, and a monitoring program
for red snapper. Management options include a closure of the red
snapper fishery plus alternatives for area closures for all snapper
grouper fishing to address bycatch of red snapper, a permitted
fishing zone, and various monitoring program alternatives.
• Amendment 17B to establish ACLs and AMs for 9 remaining species in
the snapper grouper complex currently listed as undergoing
overfishing. Alternatives include a proposed deepwater closure
(waters greater than 240 feet), allocations for golden tilefish, and
aggregate ACLs for gag, black grouper, and red grouper.
• Amendment 18 to address options to limit participation in the
commercial black sea bass and golden tilefish fisheries, extension
of jurisdictional boundaries for the snapper grouper management unit
northward, separation of the snowy grouper quota into
regions/states, changes to the golden tilefish fishing year,
regional/state management of the gag recreational allocation, and
improvements in fisheries statistics.
The hearings will be open from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (with the exception
of the hearing in Virginia that begins at 6:00 PM). Council staff
will provide periodic presentations and be on hand to answer
questions. Local Council representatives will take formal comments
on the public hearing documents any time between those hours. The
hearings will be video-streamed live online at USTREAM.com as they
occur.
The Council is also accepting written and email comments until 5:00
p.m. on November 25, 2009. Copies of the public hearing documents
with details on how to submit written comments on each are posted on
the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net and available by contacting
the Council office at 843/571-4366 or Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10.
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SAFMC Public Hearing Dates and Locations |
Monday, November 2, 2009
Hilton Garden Inn
5265 International Blvd.
N. Charleston, South Carolina 29418
Phone: 843/308-9330 |
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Hilton New Bern Riverfront (formally the Sheraton)
100 Middle Street
New Bern, North Carolina 28562
Phone: 252/638-3585 |
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
175 Bourne Avenue
Pooler, Georgia 31322
Phone: 912/748-8888 |
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Key Largo Grande
97000 S. Overseas Highway
Key Largo, Florida 33037
Phone: 305/852-5553 |
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Radisson Resort at the Port
8701 Astronaut Boulevard
Cape Canaveral, Florida 33920
Phone: 321/784-0000 |
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Crowne Plaza Riverfront
1201 Riverplace Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 94/398-8800 |
Monday, November 16, 2009 (begins at 6:00 PM)
VA Marine Resources Commission
2600 Washington Ave., 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Phone: 757/247-2200 |
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional
councils, conserves and manages fish stocks from three to 200 miles
offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east
Florida. |
