By suggesting that reductions in total allowable catch of bluefin tuna are warranted in both the eastern and western Atlantic, NOAA is effectively selling out U.S. fishermen who for years have adhered to strict catch limits and conservation measures now proven to have boosted the health of the bluefin population.
Our fishermen operate under the strictest management regime in the world, and their sacrifices are largely responsible for the optimism found in the most recent scientific assessment for western Atlantic bluefin. The U.S. fishery lacks the rampant overharvest, underreporting, and tuna ranching operations that have led to such a dramatic decline in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. To suggest our fishermen should be punished for their actions to rebuild and sustain this vital species is uncalled for and inappropriate.
The question the U.S. delegation should be asking itself now is whether we want to incentivize or punish good behavior on the part of ICCAT members. We must allow science to dictate management measures, and in this case, the data is clear: There is room for an increase in the catch limit for western bluefin, yet we must push for further restrictions on catch limits in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. U.S. fishermen have already sacrificed a portion of their livelihood today for a sustainable future tomorrow. Eastern Atlantic fishermen have not made those concessions, and the time has come for them to accept long overdue catch restrictions.
Read Senator Snowe's complete remarks at Fosters.