NOAA Guarantees Continued Crisis For New England Fisheries With Irresponsible Action

The following is a statement from Matt Tinning, senior director, U.S. Oceans Program, Environmental Defense Fund:

“The New England groundfish fishery is in crisis, with 13 of 20 stocks overfished, rebuilding targets failing, and a recent criminal bust of the industry’s biggest operator providing more evidence of a comprehensive failure of monitoring in the fishery. Today’s decision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to approve Framework 55 – which includes sharp reductions in observer coverage – is an abdication of their legal duty under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to end overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. For an administration that has made stunning progress to return our nation’s fisheries to health, the approval of Framework 55 is a stain on their legacy.

“A comprehensive and effective monitoring program is essential to maintain accountability, aid in fish stock recovery and produce vital information about what fish are being caught and discarded, and where. The current program achieves none of these goals.  No one wants to burden fishermen with additional costs, and the solution lies in making the transition to cost-effective electronic monitoring. Funding is available now for this technology, which is critical to end the widespread distrust of NOAA’s scientific assessments and to let scientists, fishermen and regulators know what is happening in this era of climate change. The current shell of a program simply wastes money and does nothing to end the downward economic spiral the fishery and industry are stuck in. This is a disservice not just to the environment, but also to the industry, both of which need real monitoring if they are to succeed, not the deeply failed system that goes into effect on the water this Sunday.”