March 2005 Fish Tales Newsletter
March 2005 Fish Tales Newsletter
March 2005 Fish Tales Newsletter
March 2005
Volume 8, Issue 1
FISH TALES
Gulf fisheries threatened by bycatch—GRN launches
campaign to make “Every Fish Count”
The Gulf Restoration Network and our back into the water, dead or dying.
Inside this issue:
allies are kicking off our “Every Fish Bycatch must be taken into account if
Counts” campaign focusing on bycatch, we hope to achieve sustainable fisheries
the accidental catch of any wildlife in the Gulf. COUNCIL APPROVES 2
when other species or sizes are targeted. EFH AMENDMENT
In most instances, bycatch is thrown Identifying and reducing bycatch was
prioritized by the PRESIDENT BUSH 2
Sustainable Fisheries Act of RESPONDS TO
1996. Recently, both the OCEANS REPORT
U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy and the Pew Oceans NMFS TRICKY ON 3
Commission highlighted RED SNAPPER PLAN
bycatch as a continuing APPROVAL
problem.
GREATER AMBER- 3
While some progress has JACK UNDERGOING
been made to reduce OVERFISHING
bycatch in the Gulf of
Mexico shrimp fishery
through the use of bycatch
(NMFS) to move forward with
reduction devices and turtle
proactive measures to estimate and limit
excluder devices, more
bycatch. We’ll be pressing the Gulf
needs to be done. In
Council to adopt bycatch strategies at
addition, the Gulf of Mexico
every available opportunity, as well as
Fishery Management
making the case to the public by
Council (Gulf Council)
working with the media and building
continues to focus primarily
coalitions with Gulf of Mexico fishing,
on the bycatch associated
diving and environmental groups.
with shrimpers while
ignoring the fact that
New scientific information on red
bycatch exists in all
snapper demonstrates why bycatch
fisheries, including both
reduction is critical for some species
commercial and recreational
and why the Gulf Council should not
fishing.
limit its bycatch management to the
shrimp fishery. The new information
The GRN’s “Every Fish
indicates that shrimp trawl bycatch is
Counts” campaign will
simply one of several problems for red
focus on getting the Gulf
NMFS has focused bycatch reduction efforts primarily on snapper and bycatch from other reef fish
shrimp trawlers, demonstrated by the devices shown on Council and the National
fisheries is also significant.
these nets. Source, NOAA. Marine Fisheries Service
(Continued on page 4)
Page 2 FISHTALES
The good news is that President Bush responded to the U.S. COP report by creating a cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy,
which will coordinate and direct the federal government’s management of our marine resources. The Administration also
released an “Ocean Action Plan,” which reads like a list of past actions but does hold hope for additional action in the future.
The bad news is that the recent federal budget released by the White House cuts the budget of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by 9 percent. As home to the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA would need more
resources to implement U.S. COP recommendations, not less. Out of the NOAA budget, the National Ocean Service saw its
programs cut 38%, potentially affecting coral reef protection, coastal zone management, and the National Marine Sanctuary
efforts in the Gulf. The budget is only a proposal, but many would have expected a more significant investment if the
Administration is serious about advancing U.S. COP recommendations.
However, many remain hopeful. U.S. Ocean Policy Commissioner Dr. Frank Muller-Karger points out, “We need the White
House to follow up specifically on developing a viable, long-term funding mechanism to implement all the recommendations
listed in the final report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. Congress needs to be much more actively engaged to pass
appropriate legislation. The public is a critical player because the marine resources and environments we are talking about really
belong to all of us, and we need to hold the government accountable in how they manage our common property. They will not be
able to do this if they don't come up with the funding.”
We hope that President Bush takes full advantage of this opportunity to provide leadership to secure the future of our oceans and
the Gulf. The U.S. COP has provided the navigation charts, and now President Bush needs to firmly take hold of the tiller.
Volume 8, Issue 1 Page 3
The GRN would like to thank the Regional Marine Conservation Pro-
ject, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the
Surdna Foundation, the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, and the
Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation for making this work possible.
Gulf Restoration Network
338 Baronne St. Suite 200
New Orleans, LA 70112
GRN’S BYCATCH STATEMENT OF
Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director PRINCIPLES
Aaron Viles, Fisheries Campaign Director
Marianne Cufone, Consultant on Fisheries Issues
1. All managed fisheries must develop bycatch
Briana Kerstein, Outreach Coordinator
estimates.
Editor: Aaron Viles
A sense of how many fish are being caught as bycatch is
Phone: (504) 525-1528 critical. Different programs exist to develop these
Fax: (504) 525-0833 estimates: on-board observers, recreational fisherman
Email: [email protected] phone surveys, charter boat log books and port surveys.
NMFS must fully fund and implement the most effective
of these programs to ascertain a complete picture.
Every fish counts... 2. Bycatch estimates must take into consideration
(Continued from page 1) species thrown overboard because they are too
For example, red snapper can be bycatch when vermilion small or out of season (regulatory discards) as
snapper is targeted and vice versa. The vermilion season is well as those that have no value (economic
open when red snapper is closed, so more red snapper are discards).
probably being killed out of season than expected. Vermilion Whatever the reason fish are thrown overboard, the end
snapper is often substituted for red snapper and at times is sold result is the same—many end up dead or dying.
as red snapper. Complete bycatch estimates must include both types of
discards.
Management measures for red snapper are designed to limit 3. Bycatch estimates must include all commercial
the species annual catch to 9.12 million pounds. When
and recreational fishing gear types.
estimates of bycatch are included, the total mortality jumps to The historical focus on shrimp trawl bycatch has unfairly
an unsustainable 12 million pounds. It’s clear that something placed the regulatory burden on only one aspect of the
needs to be done. problem. All gear types have some levels of bycatch, so
NMFS needs estimates for all gear types.
GET INVOLVED
We need your help to hold the Gulf Council accountable. Let 4. All efforts to estimate bycatch must be published
the Council know that as a concerned Gulf citizen, you want to in peer-reviewed academic journals.
ensure our fisheries are managed for future generations. The scientific process of peer review will allow for the
Demand that the Council collect information on bycatch, as most accurate and up-to-date information to be used to
well as develop strategies to minimize bycatch for the entire manage our fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf’s managed fisheries.
5. Once established, bycatch estimates for managed
fisheries must be fully incorporated into
Address:
management decisions, including calculations of
GMFMC
The Commons at Rivergate yearly total allowable catches.
Many of the popular reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico are
3018 North U.S. Highway 301, Suite 1000 depleted, and a primary reason is that annual allowable
Tampa, Florida 33619-2272 catch totals do not account for bycatch. Anecdotal
Fax: 813-225-7015 information indicates that if bycatch is included, actual
http://www.gulfcouncil.org take may be double the total allowable catch.
JOIN THE GULF RESTORATION NETWORK’S It’s clear that unless the Gulf Council and NMFS
“EVERY FISH COUNTS” CAMPAIGN: work to establish solid bycatch estimates for
To find out more about the campaign, contact Fisheries managed species and include those estimates in
Campaign Director Aaron Viles at (504) 525-1528 ext. 207 or annual allowable catch numbers, our Gulf fisheries
[email protected]. will continue to be overfished.