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Washington, D.C. --- Congressmen Jim Saxton (NJ-03) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) have asked Dr. William T. Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), to kill the proposal to eliminate allocations for small school bluefin tuna that many recreational fishermen rely on to satisfy their customers and support related businesses.
Saxton and Pallone said credible questions remain about how the numbers of catches were estimated that led to proposing that no allocation of recreational small school bluefin town be allowed for the upcoming 2006 fishing season.
In a letter to Hogarth, the congressmen stated: "We are very concerned by this proposal--especially given the economic value of the recreational fishery from Maine to the Carolinas and the significant adverse implications such action will have for important businesses located in our districts."
The letter was also signed by Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, Chairman of the Fisheries Conservation and Oceans Subcommittee, and Congressman Tim Bishop of Long Island, N.Y. Saxton is Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee, and Pallone is the ranking member of the subcommittee.
"Frank and I represent much of the Jersey Shore's recreational fishing industry," Saxton said. "From Sandy Hook to Tuckerton, and up and down the Eastern Seaboard, this proposal spells economic hardship for the recreational fishing industry that supports tourism-related businesses. More importantly, the numbers may not justify the action. We think NMFS should can this proposal."
"NOAA Fisheries shouldn't take the drastic step of shutting down the bluefin tuna fishery if they're not confident in their own numbers," Pallone said. "This may seem like no big deal to fisheries managers, but it would have quite an impact on recreational fishermen. Given that there was an overestimation of the recreational catch, managers should let recreational fishermen go ahead and fish for bluefin tuna while simultaneously working out the problems with the data." |
