Friday, February 19, 2010

Update on Fisheries Rally Workshop

Working together at the workshop on Wednesday night, fishing industry stakeholders were able to develop five major themes. I am posting the preliminary phrasing of those themes here, with a cautionary note that this is a work in progress. Your thoughts on these expressions are welcomed as we evolve the final product for the rally on Wednesday, February 24th in Washington.

Our current plan is to preface these themes with an introductory statement of urgency, and to follow them with a request for co-sponsorship of H.R. 1584 and a request for a public hearing on this legislation.


Five Themes:

1) Over fishing in New England is ending, and stocks are rebuilding, through the conservation efforts and extreme sacrifices of fishing families and communities. The continuing success of these efforts is now in jeopardy.

2) Substantial numbers of good jobs are being unnecessarily lost in New England’s commercial fishing industry as a direct result of government actions, which can be changed.

3) Management decisions must use reliable, unbiased science for predictable regulations.

4) Current fishery management regulations are causing the unconscionable wasting of fish.

5) New England’s commercial fishing industry is threatened with extinction, with the loss of irreplaceable shoreside facilities and infrastructure, the unique skills of fishermen and fish processors, and a way of life being lost forever.