Pew officials share solutions to overfishing and rebuilidng fish stocks

Lee Crockett, director of federal fisheries policy, and Holly Binns, manager of the Campaign to End Overfishing in the Southeast, for the Pew Charitable Trusts spoke about ending overfishing and rebuilding depleted fishing stocks Aug. 19 in Tallahassee at the Florida Outdoor Writers Association conference.

Why does Pew care about ocean conservation? We like to fish!, they said.

Ending overfishing is a hallmark of our work in federal waters, Crockett said. Taking fish out of the water faster than they can replenish themselves is overfishing. There were no time limits in the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act. In 2006, that was changed with the recognition of the need to put an annual catch limit in place based on science and have them in place by 2010.

Some feel that 10 years as a target timeline to rebuild depleted populations is not biologically possible; we think the timelines are accurately reflected, Crockett said. “We’re seeing stocks recovering, such as sea scallops in New England. Red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico also is doing better.”

Binns said in 2007, strict limits on red snapper fishing were set. In 2009, the red snapper population was assessed. “They were bigger and more plentiful, and returning to their historic range” she said. In 2010, the catch limit was increased; assuming the numbers continue to be good, even with the BP oil spill in the Gulf, the red snapper limit is projected to increase by 50 percent in future years. The number of older fish capable of spawning is critical to future sustainability.

Red snapper do not survive catch and release; bycatch mortality is high for recreational fishermen, science shows.

Pew is cognizant of fishermen losing work opportunities. Funding for removing marine debris in south Florida waters, for example, would enable putting fishermen to work as various species are on the road to recovery.

Many feel a moratorium on bottom fishing bycatch is needed. A compromise thus far is reduced to a 4,827-mile area around Jacksonville. Bottom fishing is being further studied before the plan is final.
Crockett talked about surface longlining in the Gulf of Mexico. Pew began studying the bluefin tuna and swordfish, and the killing of reproductive spawning females. Killing 500-600 bluefin tuna a year through discarding dead fish during longlining is not sustainable.

There are other ways to catch this fish besides longlining. Two other types of gear can be used, and are in use currently. Alternative gears, such as Green Stick, a Japanese trolling operation, and buoy gear are options. The solution is to ban the longlining and promote the use of this other gear.

Pew created a 20-page report entitled Design Matters, Making Catch Shares Work, which highlights six components of a properly designed system. It can be seen at http://www.endoverfishing.com. Also, you may visit http://www.pewtrusts.org.

For more information on what Pew is doing to help solve oil spill-related concerns, visit www.pewenvironment.org/offshoreenergyreform.