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" However, there is absolutely nothing that would prevent a groundfisherman who sits on the New England Fishery Management Council from voting for measures that provide him—and every other groundfisherman in New England—a short term economic benefit even if it imperils the health of the stock in the long term."
Not true. The Magnesson- Stevens Act, which established the Councils requires that the councils immediately stop overfhing in any fishery and also requires the councils to develop a rebuilding plan for any species that is overfished that will rebuild the fishery to Maximum Sustainable yield within a specified time frame. NMFS overseas these requirements and they have rejected Council approved measures that NMFS feels would fail to meet these requirements.
As for the ASMFC each state gets three members, one appointed by the Governor, which is almost invariably one of the leaders of that state's marine fishery authority. So that seat is given to an individual who is a state employee and has no possible conflict of interest. Another seat goes to a legislator from that states legislature who should have little or no conflicts. Since each state only gets one vote, the two state employees outweigh any possible conflict from the third member.
The state advisory boards, RIMFAC, and the NYMFAC are both advisory panels with no authority to do anything other than make recommendation.
Sometimes I have a lot of problems with Charlie's logic, although we do agree on some things, but this is not one of them. Who is more capable of managing the fisheries other that those who spend time on the water? By his logic the technical committees and the Scientific and statistical committees, which basically drive all fishery management decisions should all be disqualified, because they have a direct interest in keeping their jobs, which is to manage the fisheries.
I do agree with him that the ASMFC and all of the other State waters management groups should be brought under the authority of the Magnesson-Stevens act. But with the state vs fed controversy over red snapper in the Gulf, I don't see much support for that notion from the gulf states.
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