NMFS to post new shark fishing rule for public comment

Not sure how I missed this post. Mike, any idea how serious they are about implimenting this? What kind of opposition are they facing. How can our members help in driving this action?

Not sure how I missed this post. Mike, any idea how serious they are about implimenting this? What kind of opposition are they facing. How can our members help in driving this action?

Since they have a draft amendment done, one would assume they are fairly serious, though it is important to note that the proposed course of action is just one of five alternatives analyzed so one could wonder if the others are still in play based on public comment. I suppose one could write to NOAA expressing support for the chosen alternative (or the one that would close the fishery altogether). Or one could go to one of the public comment meetings. The locations of the meetings would lead me to believe that they are where they are so the fishermen can easily participate. If you're interested in the overall amendment to the (deep breath) consolidated highly migratory species fishery management plan, you can find it here:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocument_files/FMPs.htm

It is actually quite a fascinating read, not just because you can see how one of these things is put together but also because Appendix B lays out the counterargument from the fishing industry that attempts to put the "bad science" label on the underlying SEDAR data that NOAA is using. Appendix B also contains NOAA's reponse.

It is a bit odd that I haven't seen much from any of my "causes" trying to rally support. Normally when something reasonably good like this is porposed they take the opportunity to trumpet the announcement and ask for more money! The Ocean Conservancy site says that implementation is expected in early 2008 after the comment period ends in October.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

What forever frustrates me is that NOAA and the NMFS are part of the Department of Commerce.

As long as they are in the Dept of Commerce, I continue to see them putting fishing interests before environmental interests.

The EPA was created precisely for this reason - so how to we get NOAA and NMFS moved to the EPA?

Sincerely,

James Wiseman

Thanks Mike,

 

What forever frustrates me is that NOAA and the NMFS are part of the Department of Commerce.

 

As long as they are in the Dept of Commerce, I continue to see them putting fishing interests before environmental interests.

 

The EPA was created precisely for this reason - so how to we get NOAA and NMFS moved to the EPA?

 

Sincerely,

James Wiseman

In all honesty, I don't think it really matters. I'm surprised they both just didn't get tansfered into DHS along with FEMA and the Coast Guard . The main issue is that there are always political appointees mixed in with the career scientists. In EPA, you have to fight the energy industry just like you have to fight the fisheries in Commerce and miners and ranchers in Interior. It doesn't matter where you go, the money follows.

Mike

So Mike,

What can one do to help if one does not live anywhere near these hearings...like many folks on this forum?

shawn

Given how Bush/Cheney has neutered the EPA, I'm not sure moving NMFS out of Commerce and into the EPA would help matters. Cheney and Bush care more about agriculture, energy, mining, and other land-based interests than they do about fish. I think NMFS has been spared from their insanity, for the most part.

Whether NMFS is shuffled into another federal department or not, it'll still be tasked with protecting stocks of marine species and, ideally, also protecting commercial fishing from obliteration. It's not easy, because some people think NMFS is a band of devious fish-huggers who want to put fishermen out of business while others swear NMFS is doing the bidding of fishing interests.

So Mike,

What can one do to help if one does not live anywhere near these hearings...like many folks on this forum?

shawn

Then I would fall back on the other option I mentioned -- read the document and then write a letter to NOAA expressing support for the plan. The phone number of a point of contact is on the news release if you want to ask NOAA directly about this and ask how you can get your comments in without going to a meeting.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/...mits_FINAL1.pdf

Mike