Gulf Grouper IFQ

[FMI]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2009
Contact:
Ted Forsgren (850) 224-3474



FEDS APPROVE GULF GROUPER IFQ – THE LARGEST PUBLIC FISHERY GIVEAWAY IN FLORIDA’S HISTORY

The Federal Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have expedited the implementation of an IFQ (Individual Fishing Quota) program for exclusive access privileges for Gulf grouper.(1) The Gulf Council’s Grouper IFQ program will allocate and grant exclusive right of access to more than 65 percent of all the Gulf red and gag grouper to a limited number of commercial interests.

“The magnitude of this giveaway is unprecedented,” said Ted Forsgren, CCA Florida Executive Director. “It is the largest public fishery giveaway in Florida’s history!”

NMFS states that the IFQ does not convey title, or ownership of the resource, to the commercial fishers. However, the commercial fishers will be allowed to take, sell, lease, broker, and even bequeath these grouper quota shares. “For this privilege the commercial interests will pay absolutely nothing,” said Forsgren.

The Gulf grouper IFQ debate is not about conservation. It is about the allocation and the access to public resources. CCA has a proven history of supporting conservation measures to protect and restore fisheries, and has supported additional recreational restrictions on Gulf grouper. However, CCA is opposed to locking up access to a public resource in a small number of commercials interests.

Establishing IFQ’s will only benefit large operators in the commercial fishery. The recreational fishery will not be allowed to expand because reallocation of grouper take from the commercial IFQ will never occur. In the future, as more people try to fish for grouper the bag limits and seasons will be even more restrictive until the recreational fishery is no longer viable.

“The more valuable recreational fishery will be strangled,” said Jeff Allen, Chairman CCA Florida Government Relations Committee. “The economic damages that will be inflicted upon Florida’s recreational fishery have been completely disregarded.”

Groups other than recreational fishers are now voicing concerns over the use of IFQ’s, ITQ’s and other catch shares programs.(1) A number of documents and reports which identify serious problems caused by such programs have been recently released. One of the newest reports by EcoTrust Canada came out after the Gulf Council’s final action. EcoTrust’s report contains a detailed analysis of the ITQ’s in British Columbia including the following statements;
Debate about ITQs is often polarized and fuelled more by ideology than reality. Proponents hail ITQs as a solution for both conservation and the financial ills plaguing the fishing industry. However, too many people—including some environmentalists—accept exaggerated claims about ITQs without clearly knowing the facts.

Unfortunately, a number of recent studies—including a high-profile 2008 article in the journal Science—have exaggerated the virtues of ITQs, drawn specious correlations, ignored unintended consequences and, generally, oversimplified the complex causes of fisheries collapses and how to stop them. Perspective is being lost as myth becomes received wisdom.

EcoTrust Canada, 2009 – A Cautionary Tale About ITQ’s in BC Fisheries
CCA has provided formal comments detailing the provisions of the Gulf grouper IFQ (Amendment 29) which do not comply with the Magnuson Stevens Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. In addition, CCA has provided NMFS with the analysis and problems documented in the British Columbia fisheries reports and urged the NMFS to re-evaluate the IFQ plan. It is also important to note that the Magnuson Stevens Act does not require the adoption of IFQ’s nor is there any deadline for adoption.

The Gulf recreational grouper fishery has an economic value of 223 million dollars, nearly three times larger than the economic value of the commercial fishery. “Many of the serious problem elements identified in the CCA, EcoTrust Canada and other reports are imbedded in the federal Gulf grouper plan,” said Bill Bird, Chairman CCA Florida Board of Directors.

“Given the magnitude of the potential economic and other damages, and the time available for review, the rejection of requests to re-examine the plan before final approval is clearly irresponsible,” said Bird. “It demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and concern for recreational fisheries.”

xxx


(1) IFQ, ITQ and Catch Share Programs - The Individual Fisheries Quota (IFQ), Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) and other Catch Share programs create exclusive access privileges for commercial fishermen to specific fisheries. The fishermen receive a specific percentage of the annual total allowable catch. Commercial fishermen are entitled to take, sell, lease, broker, and even bequeath those quota shares.


______________________________________

SAVE FLORIDA’S OFFSHORE RECREATIONAL FISHERIES
STOP THE PUBLIC RESOURCE GIVEAWAYS
SEND EMAILS OR LETTERS TO GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST.
URGE HIM TO CONTACT THE U.S. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND REQUEST THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GROUPER IFQ AND OTHER SUCH IFQ’S BE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL THE LEGAL ISSUES AND DAMAGES TO THE RECREATIONAL
FISHERIES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.

Governor Charlie Crist
PL 05 Capitol
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com


FINAL NOTE: CCA is evaluating legal and other options to address the adverse impacts of the Grouper IFQ on recreational fisheries.

[PinFishKing]

For what it is worth - I live in Georgia and eagerly travel to Florida several times a year to fish for the best fish in the ocean - GROUPER. Sometimes we squeeze in trips 2 to 3 times a month if the schedule allows it. I am half owner of a boat that is parked in Florida. We puchased the boat in Florida. We pay rent in Florida. We have it serviced and repaired in Florida. We buy our gas and all fishing suppplies in Florida. In other words, we spend lots of Georgia dollars in Florida. The last cutback on the grouper limit was about enough to make it not worth the trip to keep 2 gag groupers. Luckily we have friends like Tom Keels and our friends at Econfina who will meet us and go out with us to help absorb the cost and increase our boat limit for the day.

I have absolutely no idea what the politicians are thinking. I know commercial fishing is big business but - WTF! - there has to be hundreds of millions (if not billions)of dollars pumped into the Florida economy from rec fishing each year! When you add up boat prices, insurance costs, equipment/supply costs, GAS, licenses, etc. etc. etc. you get a huge number.

Even though I am not a Florida resident I am writing the Gov to let him know how I feel. I am looking at retirement in 5 to 10 years and up until now had all intentions of moving to Florida to spend even more money on fishing. As this crap keeps happening, I am starting to miss my Bass Boat more and more.......not really..........I LOVE saltwater fishing and hope I am not forced to give it up.

[PinFishKing]

Below is what I just emailed to Governor Crist:

Dear Governor Crist,

Below is a copy of a post I recently posted on a popular fishing forum – www.bigbendfishing.net – that I have been a member of for several years. The repeated cutbacks on Grouper limits in the gulf are just plain WRONG. I invite you or a representative from your office to tag along on a trip for Grouper on our boat “Team Grouper” in the near future. We are located in Econfina which is less than 1 hour from Tallahassee. We would love to spend time with you, catch some fish, and explain our concerns and observations as to what the Grouper population is really like in the Gulf and what we see going on with the commercial vs. recreational limits.

Please feel free to contact me any time day or night.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration,
Greg Alexander
Recreational Angler from Columbus Georgia
(706)571-9456 home
(706)660-7226 work

Below is the post submitted to www.bigbendfishing.net on 09/04/09 in response to recent announcement from the Federal Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS):


For what it is worth - I live in Georgia and eagerly travel to Florida several times a year to fish for the best fish in the ocean - GROUPER. Sometimes we squeeze in trips 2 to 3 times a month if the schedule allows it. I am half owner of a boat that is parked in Florida. We purchased the boat in Florida. We pay rent in Florida. We have it serviced and repaired in Florida. We buy our gas and all fishing supplies in Florida. In other words, we spend lots of Georgia dollars in Florida. The last cutback on the grouper limit was about enough to make it not worth the trip to keep 2 gag groupers. Luckily we have friends like Tom Keels and our friends at Econfina who will meet us and go out with us to help absorb the cost and increase our boat limit for the day.

I have absolutely no idea what the politicians are thinking. I know commercial fishing is big business but - WTF! - there has to be hundreds of millions (if not billions)of dollars pumped into the Florida economy from rec fishing each year! When you add up boat prices, insurance costs, equipment/supply costs, GAS, licenses, etc. etc. etc. you get a huge number.

Even though I am not a Florida resident I am writing the Gov to let him know how I feel. I am looking at retirement in 5 to 10 years and up until now had all intentions of moving to Florida to spend even more money on fishing. As this crap keeps happening, I am starting to miss my Bass Boat more and more.......not really..........I LOVE saltwater fishing and hope I am not forced to give it up.

[MudDucker]

Local politics versus common sense. The recreational fishing industry fuels 10X the amount of revenue into the State of Florida as does the commercial fishery. Commercial guys are mostly all local and they have poured huge money into lobbying.

[qoutrage]

Here's an interesting article reference the above. http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/fishin ... -hook.html There is some good reference links in it, too.
PinfishKing, I don't know that the governor of FL is in a position to do much. It's Doc Roy Crabtree's NMFS, that is making these rules and setting limits, supported by it's own slanted science, and directed by NOAA and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. They could care less about the recreational fishing sector. Good effort on your part, in writing him a letter, though.
Some how, some way, we recreational fishermen have got to band together to defend our God given right to drop a hook. Right now, I support the Recreational Fishing Alliance. http://www.joinrfa.org/
I am not associated with FRA in anyway except being a member, so no other motive. I just like to fish and I don't want it taken away from me.
Until someone organizes a better effort on our behalf, it probably the best option. Join and send a donation, if you care about your rights. Q