A letter sent this week to NOAA, signed by Oregon senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio, asks National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco for advice on how to design catch share programs that protect fishing communities.
They wrote: “Fishing is an important economic driver in many of our nation’s coastal communities, and protecting this resource is even more essential now than ever as our nation struggles to rebound from the economic downturn. We ask that NMFS provide the necessary guidance during the implementation of its Catch Share Policy to ensure a vibrant future for our local fishing economies.”
The letter underscores a potential problem with catch shares, which divvy up shares of catchable fish among fishermen. The shares can be traded, bought and sold. And depending on who sells what, they can wind up shifting the fishing industry away from small fishing towns.
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