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Delegation Wants Equal Treatment for Alaska’s Fisheries |
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Washington, D.C. –Alaska’s Congressional Delegation
today sent a letter to Dr. Jane Lubchenco – the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator – making the case that
Alaska’s waters should receive the funds necessary to improve
operations, while similar endeavors are being funded on an ongoing basis
in New England and on the West Coast.
“You have made commitments to fund observers in other regions while they transition to catch share programs,” wrote the delegation. “We are concerned funding observers in these regions might jeopardize your ability to provide start up funds for the restructured North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program. Meanwhile, the burden imposed on fishermen in Alaska’s small boats and 60 –foot to 125-foot vessel fleets would be unwarranted.” In 2010, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) expanded its Groundfish Observer Program to better manage the fisheries and provide more accurate baseline data to inform policy decisions like catch and bycatch estimates. While the direct costs of deploying added fishery observers will be funded by the industry in all subsequent years, $3.8 million in transition costs needed – similar to support given the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program and the Northeast Multispecies Sector Catch Share Program in the FY12 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill. Read the complete story from Alaska Native News
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MELISSA WOOD, NATIONAL FISHERMEN: Meting out the meager
May 22, 2012 - Listening to the New England Council's Groundfish Advisory Panel talk about how that industry is going to pay for monitoring costs is kind of like trying to figure out how to pay your bills when you've just lost your job. Though monitoring is important keeping costs down is critical. As Panel Member Gary Libby pointed out, "If we had 100 percent monitoring we probably wouldn't have an industry."
