Here's a lawsuit filed the enviro-funded Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance - it may have been filed by this enviro front group, but I assure you that it is orchestrated and funded by the Environmental Defense Fund. The Alliance has received millions of dollars from EDF to pose as a front group to advance the enviro agenda of privatizing our Public Trust Resource. The Charter Fisherman's Association is likelwise in bed with the enviros and have repeatedly back their commercial brethren's opposition to reallocating quota to the recreational sector - STRANGE, since it runs contrary to their CUSTOMERS' best interests...but then again, it's really not about what's best for the Gulf recreational fishermen, the Gulf coastal communities, or the Gulf fisheries now is it?
Guindon, Werner, and Waters - the fat cats skimming off of our Public Trust Resource (for free) portraying themselves as being "important" but in reality are looking at the millions of dollars on the table with the increased quota. These same guys were at one time saying all they wanted was to get back to the original 51% of the 9.12 mp TAC, and they would support allocating any future increases to the recreational sector. Now that it's nut-cuttin time, they have conveniently "forgotten" that.
What a joke.
A lawsuit needs to be filed all right - to force these jokers to pay the American Public for profiting off of our Public Trust Resource as well as reallocating the fish to what is REALLY best for the Gulf and the Nation.
Capt. Thomas J. Hilton
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [seafoodnews.com] July 2, 2013
Commercial fishermen and associated businesses have filed a lawsuit against the federal government to address its failure to effectively manage the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery according to the law firm K&L Gates.
According to the lawsuit management failures have resulted in overharvesting of red snapper by the recreational sector that harms all stakeholders in the fishery, including commercial and recreational fishermen and fishing communities, and deprives consumers of access to fresh fish.
The suit challenges regulations issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through the National Marine Fisheries Services (“NMFS”) governing the Gulf of Mexico (“Gulf”) red snapper fishery. The suit asserts the NMFS has violated the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law governing federal fisheries.
“The agency’s mismanagement of Gulf red snapper poses a real threat to the commercial businesses – fishermen, fish houses, distributors, restaurants, etc. – that are dependent on red snapper and our ability to meet rising consumer demand for red snapper,” said Buddy Guindon, a commercial red snapper fisherman from Galveston, Texas. “We hoped to avoid litigation, but the agency left us with no choice.”
According to the complaint, the agency has mismanaged the fishery by failing to implement adequate measures to control catches by the recreational fishing sector. Inadequate controls have permitted the recreational sector to routinely catch far more red snapper than it is allocated under the fishery management plan. In 2012 the recreational sector caught 1.8 million pounds of red snapper more than it was supposed to, exceeding its catch limit by 46%. In a recent year the recreational overage approached 90%. By contrast, the commercial sector of the fishery, which operates under an individual fishing quota system (a form of catch share), complies with its catch limit every year.
Wayne Werner, a commercial red snapper fishermen from Alachua, Florida said, “Fresh, plentiful seafood is important to our heritage, culture, and economy in the Gulf. We want to make sure that continues for generations to come. Plus, not everyone has to go fishing to enjoy it. We want to make sure the public has access to red snapper in restaurants and grocery stores.”
“We’ve worked hard to implement an effective, working IFQ program for the commercial sector,” said Donny Waters, a commercial red snapper fisherman from Pensacola, Florida. “We cannot afford to see the agency’s actions on the recreational side undermine the tremendous progress we’ve made. There is just too much at stake for the regional economy.”
The suit was filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C.
Guindon, Werner, and Waters - the fat cats skimming off of our Public Trust Resource (for free) portraying themselves as being "important" but in reality are looking at the millions of dollars on the table with the increased quota. These same guys were at one time saying all they wanted was to get back to the original 51% of the 9.12 mp TAC, and they would support allocating any future increases to the recreational sector. Now that it's nut-cuttin time, they have conveniently "forgotten" that.
What a joke.
A lawsuit needs to be filed all right - to force these jokers to pay the American Public for profiting off of our Public Trust Resource as well as reallocating the fish to what is REALLY best for the Gulf and the Nation.
Capt. Thomas J. Hilton
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [seafoodnews.com] July 2, 2013
Commercial fishermen and associated businesses have filed a lawsuit against the federal government to address its failure to effectively manage the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery according to the law firm K&L Gates.
According to the lawsuit management failures have resulted in overharvesting of red snapper by the recreational sector that harms all stakeholders in the fishery, including commercial and recreational fishermen and fishing communities, and deprives consumers of access to fresh fish.
The suit challenges regulations issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through the National Marine Fisheries Services (“NMFS”) governing the Gulf of Mexico (“Gulf”) red snapper fishery. The suit asserts the NMFS has violated the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law governing federal fisheries.
“The agency’s mismanagement of Gulf red snapper poses a real threat to the commercial businesses – fishermen, fish houses, distributors, restaurants, etc. – that are dependent on red snapper and our ability to meet rising consumer demand for red snapper,” said Buddy Guindon, a commercial red snapper fisherman from Galveston, Texas. “We hoped to avoid litigation, but the agency left us with no choice.”
According to the complaint, the agency has mismanaged the fishery by failing to implement adequate measures to control catches by the recreational fishing sector. Inadequate controls have permitted the recreational sector to routinely catch far more red snapper than it is allocated under the fishery management plan. In 2012 the recreational sector caught 1.8 million pounds of red snapper more than it was supposed to, exceeding its catch limit by 46%. In a recent year the recreational overage approached 90%. By contrast, the commercial sector of the fishery, which operates under an individual fishing quota system (a form of catch share), complies with its catch limit every year.
Wayne Werner, a commercial red snapper fishermen from Alachua, Florida said, “Fresh, plentiful seafood is important to our heritage, culture, and economy in the Gulf. We want to make sure that continues for generations to come. Plus, not everyone has to go fishing to enjoy it. We want to make sure the public has access to red snapper in restaurants and grocery stores.”
“We’ve worked hard to implement an effective, working IFQ program for the commercial sector,” said Donny Waters, a commercial red snapper fisherman from Pensacola, Florida. “We cannot afford to see the agency’s actions on the recreational side undermine the tremendous progress we’ve made. There is just too much at stake for the regional economy.”
The suit was filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C.