Attention All Bluefin Tuna Recreational and Commercial Fishermen!!
NMFS proposes to Re-allocate all User Group BFT Quota Shares for 2011 Fishing Season. The Pelagic Longline Category to be awarded 28% of US quota while General Category reduced to 39% to continue Dead Discards at Sea. All other categories including Angling, Harpoon and Reserve To Be Gutted for LONGLINE BOATS to Continue Discards!!! Read On!
1. New proposed 2011 NMFS Quota Rule will deduct 160 metric tons of U.S. Total Allowable Catch and Use this Quota to Cover Estimated Longline Discards in 2011. This tonnage could increase and provide NMFS with precedent to take even more quota to allow for Higher Dead Discards. In addition, NMFS proposes to allow 69.5 mt landings quota for longlines.
2. This transfer to Longliners will result in Reduced Bag Limits, Shorter Regional Fishing Seasons, Early Closures and tremendous financial losses for General and Angling and Harpoon fisheries.
3. Adding insult to our injury this year, NMFS is currently allowing the LONGLINE fleet to continue a repeat of this process and the unacceptable damage on all other recreational and commercial traditional fishermen from Maine to Texas for the 2012 fishing season as well, with only minimal changes to the longline bag limits and zero proposals to effectively curtail their fishing season.
4. The NOAA proposal that the General, Harpoon, Angling and Purse Seine categories carry the burden of longline discards would result in the lowest ever starting quotas in 2011 for the General, Harpoon, Purse Seine and Reserve categories since these Traditional and Historical Catch Share Categories were initiated in 1981.
5. The new 2011 quotas will result in the longline category receiving an increase in U.S. quota from 8.1% to about 28% of the quota. NOAA has been aware of this impending crisis and excessive dead discard for many years and has done nothing to improve NOAA awareness of real time longline discards and reduce or end the longline fishery in season. Closure of a category has been the sacred rule NOAA has followed for all other categories when a category exhausts its historical share.
6. In the interest of due process and adequate public consideration and airing of the NOAA proposed non solution to the longline discard crisis, the American Bluefin Tuna Association has already insisted that the comment period be extended for 45 days and that numerous additional regional public hearings be scheduled. At a minimum, public hearings must be held in Portland, ME, Boston, MA, Hyannis, MA, Long Island, NY, Miami, FL and New Orleans, LA.. THIS DISCARD CRISIS CAN NO LONGER BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG!!
The American Bluefin Tuna Association needs your help to prevent NOAA from allowing their SCANDALOUS & OUTRAGEOUS plan to go forward. Following are the NAMES, EMAIL ADDRESSES OF RESPONSIBLE NOAA OFFICIALS WHO CAN STOP THIS TRAVESTY FROM GOING ANY FURTHER AND PRESERVE YOUR RIGHT TO YOUR SHARE OF THE U.S. TAC IN 2011 and 2012. Please write the NOAA leadership. Also, open the attachment and follow the instructions to submit your written comment on the "proposed rule" and view public meeting schedule. Don't let NOAA forget who you are!
TO PRESERVE YOUR RIGHT TO FISH FOR THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEFIN TUNA CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, FISHING BUDDIES, SHARE THIS ALERT ON WEBSITES AND MAIL TO YOUR ADDRESS BOOKS.
If you have any questions or desire more detailed information, please feel free to contact the ABTA at
info@theabta.com Remember, NOAA Protected Resources is also working to list bluefin tuna as an Endangered Species despite evidence bluefin are rebuilt in the West Atlantic.
NOAA Contacts
Eric Schwaab
301-713-2239, ext. 195
Eric.schwaab@noaa.gov
Margaret Spring
NOAA Chief of Staff
202-482-3436
Margaret.spring@noaa.gov
Samuel Rauch
Deputy ***. Administrator for Regulatory Programs
301-713-2239, ext. 193
Samuel.rauch@noaa.gov
Russell Smith
Deputy. Asst. Secretary for Int’l Fisheries
202-482-5682
Russell.smith@noaa.gov
Margo Schulze-Haugen
Chief, HMS Division
301-713-2347, ext. 108
margo.schulze-haugen@noaa.gov
Sarah McLaughlin
Fishery Management Specialist
978-281-9260
Sarah.McLaughlin@noaa.gov
Emily Menashes
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries
301-713-2334
Emily.menashes@noaa.gov
Attached Files
03-11-11_BFT_Proposed_Specs_Listserve.pdf (181.1 KB, 0 views)
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