View Full Version : Catch Shares article 12/23
Catch-All
12-23-2010, 02:27 PM
As founder & president of the 100 Fathom Fishing Club, I have seen the unscientific & unneeded Catch Shares scheme taking hold in every ocean region that NOAA regulates.
In the Gulf Of Mexico, Jane Lubchenko's EDF Environmental Defense Fund is pushing for Catch Shares to be forced on the Red Snapper fishery. The SUNOCO Oil/Pew funded EDF is using witting shills and unwitting useful idiots in groups like SOS and CCA Coastal Conservation Association to impose the Catch Shares scheme on a fishery that has recovered to unprecedented levels of abundance.
It's my experience that anytime an Enviro Industry outfit like EDF, The Ocean Conservancy, The Tides Foundation or Pew Environmental Group gets involved in a fisheries issue, only bad things can result from it.
Here is a link to one of the better articles I've seen on the Catch Shares issue.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/12/noaas_catch_shares_fisheries_d.htmlIf you care about the future of your right to fish, I urge each of you to get informed & get involved.
Happy Hanukkah & Merry Christmas,
Mark/ Catch-All
Pres., 100 Fathom Fishing Club
It's my experience that anytime an Enviro Industry outfit like EDF, The Ocean Conservancy, The Tides Foundation or Pew Environmental Group gets involved in a fisheries issue, only bad things can result from it.
That is a good point. Its not that those orgs are run by bad people, or people who don't mean well. They get involved when fishermen aren't willing to make sacrifices based on science. They come in and demand science and upset the apple cart. Summer flounder is one of the first best examples. NRDC took the whole deal to court, whereby they successfully argued there was very little chance the FMP would work. Since then flounder rules have been tough. Tougher on recs I think.
As founder & president of the 100 Fathom Fishing Club, I have seen the unscientific & unneeded Catch Shares scheme taking hold in every ocean region that NOAA regulates.
In the Gulf Of Mexico, Jane Lubchenko's EDF Environmental Defense Fund is pushing for Catch Shares to be forced on the Red Snapper fishery. The SUNOCO Oil/Pew funded EDF is using witting shills and unwitting useful idiots in groups like SOS and CCA Coastal Conservation Association to impose the Catch Shares scheme on a fishery that has recovered to unprecedented levels of abundance.
It's my experience that anytime an Enviro Industry outfit like EDF, The Ocean Conservancy, The Tides Foundation or Pew Environmental Group gets involved in a fisheries issue, only bad things can result from it.
Here is a link to one of the better articles I've seen on the Catch Shares issue.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/12/noaas_catch_shares_fisheries_d.htmlIf you care about the future of your right to fish, I urge each of you to get informed & get involved.
Happy Hanukkah & Merry Christmas,
Mark/ Catch-All
Pres., 100 Fathom Fishing Club
Not sure of where your info is coming from but..
some bad info here:
Dr Lubchenco is the head administrator for NOAA,,,not EDF.
as far as catch shares to be forced on the Gulf, more bad info,,,There has been a catch share program in place for several years for the gulf of Mexico red snapper,,nothing new or being forced on the fishery..
the red snapper fishery has recovered significantly since the catch share program was implemented.
"unscientific & uneeded Catch Shares scheme"
what facts do you have to back up your opinion?? the article that you referenced makes no reference to
"unscientific & uneeded Catch Shares scheme"
Catch Shares may not be the perfect answer to the fisheries that they are being applied to.
especially from some of the commercial fishermen's point of view,
but in most cases they have resulted in a significant increase in the fish stocks
The Maryland Dept of Natural resources has contracted with EDF to study the feasibility of new ways to manage the blue crab fishery, this includes the possibility of a Catch Share program for the Chesapeake Blue Crab
more info here
http://www.edf.org/documents/11288_mwa-newsletter-aug2010.pdf
EDF has been involved in the implementation of Catch Share programs for many fisheries
more info here
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagid=79
one thing to note is Catch Share Programs only apply to commercial fisheries.
I assume all of the rabid fans of govt regulation will be happy when every single thing you do has a regulation and an over paid czar to manage you and your activities . Perhaps they will regulate the number of strokes allowed when making love to your wife,then you govt. idiots will finally figure out that you are being F###ed.
C-Hawk18
12-24-2010, 08:34 AM
I assume all of the rabid fans of govt regulation will be happy when every single thing you do has a regulation and an over paid czar to manage you and your activities . Perhaps they will regulate the number of strokes allowed when making love to your wife,then you govt. idiots will finally figure out that you are being F###ed.
GREED - if it didn't exist then there wouldn't be much need for "Government" control.......but since everyone can't seem to control themselves. For the protection of others, someone (the GOVERNMENT), needs to step in and exercise some control. - As a side note I am NOT a rabid fan of "Gov't Regulations", but know that some must be there.
The problem with catch shares is the assigned quota is based on past performance. Small operators (the majority of the fishermen in most communities) are squeezed out of the fishery because they can't afford to operate on their meager assigned "catch share". The only option most end up with is to sell their shares to the large operators or conglomerates, who then end up in control of entire fisheries. Monopoly!
I think catch shares or individual quotas require some kind of total allowable catch (TAC). The concept is sound and has been used successfully especially on the west coast. In theory catch shares or quotas would get us away from the unscientific effort based rules, such as the one that requires a crabber to take a day off (while his baited gear is soaking). Under an individual quota the fisherman would be allowed to pick his day and take his share as efficiently as possible. The downside, some argue, is that shares would be bought and sold on the open market, providing big operations to buy up too many shares and control market prices. Also, shares would take on the look and feel of personal property, entitling fishermen to public property. Unfortunately, even now Maryland's commercial fishing licenses are treated like personal property, so the entitlement wouldn't really change. Ultimately a successful TAC would be based on science.