A Florida Keys commercial-fishing group told state fishery managers Wednesday that the local industry remains largely opposed to the controversial catch-share concept.
"We take the position that there should be no more catch-share programs until we evaluate the ones that already exist," said Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association.
"See if they turn out to be a boon or a bust," Kelly said Thursday, summarizing his comments to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at the board's meeting this week near Tallahassee.
Under catch shares, a maximum fish harvest limit would be determined, with a set percentage of "shares" allocated to individual fishermen.
FWC board members had asked agency staff to give them an overview of catch-share programs and other "limited-access privilege" programs supported by some groups as effective ways of managing saltwater fisheries.
The FWC staff presentation concluded, "These types of programs can be a useful management tool," but added, "These programs are not necessarily suited to all fisheries and should not be designed without industry request."
After the presentation Wednesday, FWC commissioners heard about 15 members of the public speak on the issue, then discussed it among themselves. No action was taken, and the FWC board gave no instructions to staff on catch shares, said agency spokeswoman Amanda Nalley.
"This simply was a presentation to learn more about catch shares," Nalley said. "It's something that is being brought up more and more, especially at the federal fishery management councils."
Florida law has gear-limitation programs, like the cap on the number of lobster traps in the commercial fishery, but does not allocate individual fishing quotas that exist in the federal catch-share programs.
"We remain very concerned about catch shares because of two common elements that are seen worldwide -- fleet reduction and job loss," Kelly said.
A catch-share program for red snapper in federal Gulf of Mexico waters "has already resulted in a 25 percent reduction in the [commercial] fleet," Kelly said. "If we had that kind of reduction here, or even a smaller one, it would have a dramatic effect on every coastal community in the Keys."
Some people who hold federal catch-share allocations in the Gulf supported the concept Wednesday. "The commentary was both positive and negative," Nalley said.
Conservation groups like the Environmental Defense Fund say catch shares have advantages over traditional fishing regulations like size limits and seasonal closures.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has asked its regional fishery councils to consider catch shares but the agency does not require it. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has rejected catch shares for fisheries in lobster and snapper-grouper.
In other action at the Wednesday FWC meeting, the board approved a rule to allow king-mackerel commercial boats from Collier County to carry their catch from Monroe County waters back to their home port when Collier-area waters are closed to mackerel fishing from April 1 to July 1.
Previously the boats had to sell their catch, caught legally in open Monroe County waters off the mainland, in Key West or other Monroe County ports. That caused the fishermen to "experience economic hardship" with higher transportation costs.
News.Yahoo.com - Visit DolphinsMotel.com
