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RFA TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF RECREATIONAL FISHERMEN
Congressional Subcommittee To Hear Testimony On Catch Shares
April 21, 2010 -
On Thursday, April 22 at 10 a.m., the Recreational Fishing
Alliance (RFA) will once again make its opposition to catch shares
in the recreational sector perfectly clear. When it comes to
privatizing the nation's fisheries under the guise of a new
fisheries management tool, no means no!
"This is a fact that cannot be compromised," said Jim Donofrio in
advance of his expected testimony before Congress on Thursday.
"We do not want any discussion on any program that compromises
traditional open access of seasons, size limits and bag limits."
The Congressional Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and
Wildlife will convene a special hearing on Earth Day to review the
implementation of catch shares and individual fishing quotas. Led
by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), A Community Perspective on
Catch Shares will feature testimony from key members of the
fishing and conservation community. Donofrio said that since
being invited on April 5th to testify, he's had plenty of
opportunity to talk with other members of the coastal fishing
community. "Our individual members and our closest allies in the
recreational sector have all said the same thing, no way, no how,"
Donofrio said.
"We don't have the luxury of being able to compromise away the
rights of coastal stakeholders, our mission statement doesn't
accept it and our core beliefs won't allow it," Donofrio added.
The RFA has already submitted written testimony to the Committee
staff on behalf of the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA),
Fishing Rights Alliance, United Boatmen and United Boatmen of New
York, Maryland Saltwater Sportsmen's Association (MSSA), National
Association of Charterboat Operators (NACO), Conservation
Cooperative of Gulf Fishermen (CCGF), Southern Kingfish
Association (SKA), New York Sportfishing Federation, and New York
Fishing Tackle Trade Association, as well as the RFA. Donofrio
said the unified message he plans to bring to DC on Thursday will
hopefully be heard by the legislators, particularly those not
present for the fishermen's rally in DC on February 24th.
"Nearly 5,000 fishermen were on hand in our nation's Capitol in
February, and the message to our U.S. Senators and Representatives
was very clear on the topic of catch shares," Donofrio said.
"This scheme is meant purely to restrict access, choke our fishing
industry, and drive ownership of our public resources into the
hands of private corporations and wealthy individuals."
In an article this week in the Gloucester Daily Times,
investigative reporter Richard Gaines (www.gloucestertimes.com/fishing)
reported that MRAG Americas, an environmental services firm headed
by Andrew Rosenberg had "prematurely" announced winning a $6.5
million contract to provide monitors on groundfishing boats
required to fish under new catch shares policy directive by NOAA
Fisheries. According to the Times, Rosenberg helped Dr. Jane
Lubchenco write the nation's catch share policy when she was
vice-chair of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) board, before
she was appointed head of NOAA.
Although the contract award in New England's first year under the
catch share program remains to be made official, MRAG Americas
posted this week that it had been chosen by Dr. Lubchenco's office
to be "contracted to provide sector and dockside monitors for
sectors within the New England multispecies groundfish fishery."
Gaines writes that catch shares long have been an EDF's policy
goal, despite opposition from many fishermen who argue the
approach is largely a means of shifting and consolidating equity
in fisheries. "The infusion of investment capital tends to replace
the large number of small, owner-on-board businesses with a small
number of highly capitalized corporations," Gaines wrote.
The Gloucester Times reported that as former regional director
with NOAA fisheries in Gloucester, Rosenberg helped build a
formidable academic center for ocean studies at the University of
New Hampshire and co-wrote scientific papers with Lubchenco while
she was at Oregon State University. Rosenberg and Lubchenco were
among a working group of scientists organized by EDF to create the
national catch share program for the Obama administration. The
Times also reported that MRAG recently had a contract with EDF to
write its catch share handbook.
"The preservationists at EDF have long charged fishermen with
being the proverbial foxes in charge of the henhouse when it comes
to managing our coastal fisheries, yet it's starting to becoming
perfectly clear that the venture capitalists at EDF have bought
the whole farm," Donofrio said.
"Big time investors with very deep pockets have helped put many of
these new policy initiatives at the forefront of the environmental
movement, they've put their people into the Obama administration
where decisions are made, and they've even taken seats on our
fisheries management councils where the ideas are proposed,"
Donofrio added.
"Appropriately enough, on Earth Day 2010 our recreational
fishermen will have the chance to be heard in Congress when we
deliver the message that our public resources are not for sale,"
he added.
The live webcast of the Congressional hearing will take place on
April 22 starting at 10 a.m. (EST) at
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
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