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Sea Captain Sides With Fish Against Feds |
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WASHINGTON (CN) - A new National Marine Fisheries Service rule will allow commercial fishermen to dump bycatch without bringing it onboard to be monitored, and a longtime sea captain says the final rule, which differs from the proposed rule, will hurt the New England fishing industry.
Peter Taylor, a long-line commercial fisherman with more than 30 years of experience, says the NMFS' new rule invites abuse or a rule meant to ban the discarding of unmonitored bycatch. Taylor says the proposed rule would have forced midwater trawl boats to have an observation crew take note of the vessel's groundfish bycatch, the only exception being in instances where a bycatch of sharks prevented the crew from bringing the catch on board. But Taylor says the NMFS issued a final rule that added a new exception without consulting commercial fisherman interested in renewing and sustaining groundfish populations in New England. |
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HASTINGS: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act
May 18, 2012 - When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Nixon, he spoke about the importance of preserving “the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” I believe that goal is as important today as it was back then. However, after nearly 40 years, it’s time to take a fresh, honest look at the law and consider whether there are ways it could be improved to do a better job of protecting and recovering species.
