Catch shares system was introduced to private fishing businesses and individuals but it will have some negative impact, say a green group. Ecotrust believes these programmes favour the fishing practices that caused overfishing to begin with and, additionally, threaten the income of fishing communities. The group believes that oceans are about to become one of the largest government handouts of a public resource to private interests.
According to Ecotrust NOAA has deferred the design of catch share programmes to regional fishery management councils dominated by industry interests. The group claims that this proposal does not fully address the economic, social and ecological objectives required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The green organization said it is critical that the design of such management programmes address the requirements of national fishery laws.
Ecoturst has relaeased a report in which it offers ways to improve the design of this programme to better benefit all involved. Ecotrust’s report can be applied in all coastal communities where catch share programmes will be implemented. The Fair Catch report speaks directly to a West Coast catch share proposal that would reduce the trawl fleet and assign quota shares to remaining members with the goals of, “increase[ing] economic efficiency within the Pacific coast groundfish trawl fishery and reduce[ing]” bycatch.
