The new strategy guarantees that groundfish fishermen have a share in the overall catch quota. (Photo: Anderson)

Individual quotas approved in historic vote

UNITED STATES
Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 03:00 (GMT + 9)

Fishery managers on the west coast of the United States voted to give fishermen specific portions of overall quota in a groundbreaking fisheries management decision.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) voted on Friday to shift to an individual fishing quota approach for dozens of species, reports the Associated Press.

The new strategy guarantees that fishermen have a share in the quota and so encourages them to fish only when seas are safe and prices are good, instead of racing against each other for catch volume under the old system.

Fishermen will be able to catch their allocated portion at any point, sell their shares, or purchase someone else's fishing shares.

Johanna Thomas, the Pacific Ocean policy director for the Environmental Defense Fund. (Photo: EDF)

The new regulations will also eliminate bycatch laws that forced fishermen to throw perfectly good catch overboard because they did not have a permit for the species.

Many have blamed poor management for contributing to the collapse of important West Coast fisheries within the last decade and look to the new change in approach as a welcome one.

"This is a watershed moment for West Coast fishing. We expect in five to 10 years this will be one of the best-managed fisheries in the country," said Johanna Thomas, the Pacific Ocean policy director for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in an article in the Seattle Times.

"Fishermen have struggled to make a living under ineffective regulations that weren't working for the fish or the fishermen."

The rules, which will not go into effect until 2011, apply from Morro Bay on California's Central Coast to Puget Sound in Washington state. Before becoming law the regulations must be approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Though the individual quota strategy is designed to help stocks recover, some say it does not address the fundamental problem of too many boats catching too few fish.

Industry players, however, anticipate a consolidation as some fishermen opt to sell their quotas and permanently exit the business.

Related articles:

- Management council to vote on controversial new groundfish plan
- Full closure of salmon season in California and Oregon
- Proposed quota system unfair, processors say

By E. Fiske
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com