HOT NEWS!
November 3, 2011
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
&
EIGHTEEN OTHER CONGRESSMEN SIGN LETTER REQUESTING A HALT TO
NEW CATCH SHARE FUNDING IN AREAS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF
THE NEW ENGLAND, MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTH ATLANTIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCILS
THE LETTER STATES IN PART. "THE LAST THING AMERICAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES IS SPENDING MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO EXPAND PROGRAMS THAT WILL PUT EVEN MORE AMERICANS OUT OF WORK."
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER
http://www.savingseafood.org/images/documents/washington/2011-10-31%20letter%20to%20appropriators%20requesting%20no%20funding%20for%20new%20east%20coast%20catch%20share%20programs.pdf
TODAY, RICK MARKS, BOB SPAETH, BOB ZALES, BILL KELLY, SID PRESKITT, GREG DIDOMENICO, GREG ABRAMS, KAREN BELL, BILL HOUGHTON, JAMES MITCHELL AND PETE BARBER REPRESENTING A BROAD RANGE OF FISHING INTERESTS FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC TO THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL CONTINUE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE VISITS IN WASHINGTON TO DISCUSS CONCERNS ABOUT CATCH SHARES, THE NEED FOR MORE AND BETTER SCIENCE AND OTHER FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ISSUES
HOT NEWS!
JULY 25 & 26, 2011
RICK MARKS, OUR WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE, DOESN'T SPEND AS MUCH TIME BOATING AS HE WOULD LIKE TO
BUT HE SURE KNOWS HOW TO NAVIGATE ... ESPECIALLY THE HALLS OF CONGRESS!
RICK TEAMED UP WITH
BILL KELLY, FLORIDA KEYS COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION
BOB SPAETH, SOUTHERN OFFSHORE FISHING ASSOCIATION
BOB ZALES, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHARTERBOAT OPERATORS
IN TWO DAYS THE FOURSOME MADE 83 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE VISITS AND ALSO
ATTENDED A 3 HOUR HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON
"NOAA Fishery Science: Is the Lack of Science Costing Jobs?"
THE MESSAGE WAS LOUD AND CLEAR ... FISHERIES SCIENCE IS NOT UP TO PAR
AND NOAA NEEDS TO STOP DIVERTING MONEY FROM RESEARCH TO PROMOTE CATCH SHARES PROGRAMS
THAT RESULT IN FLEET REDUCTION AND JOB LOSS!
CON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
MET WITH OUR DELGATION AND PLEDGED HER CONTINUING SUPPORT
FOR FLORIDA FISHERMEN
CONGRESSWOMAN CO-SPONSORS "SAVING FISHING JOBS ACT" THAT PUTS THE BRAKES ON
CATCH SHARES PROGRAMS AND LETS FISHERMEN DO THE DECISION MAKING!
PROVISIONS IN THE BILL
REQUIRE NOAA TO DISMANTLE PROGRAMS WITH MORE THAN 15% JOB LOSS
LET FISHERMEN VOTE ON CATCH SHARES AND REQUIRE A 2/3 MAJORITY VOTE
MAKE CERTAIN CATCH SHARES COSTS ARE NOT PASSED ON TO THE PUBLIC
Ros-Lehtinen Is Pleased To Co-Sponsor Legislation That Will Hold NOAA Accountable
Consolidation Of Fishing Fleet In Unpopular Catch Share Programs
That Cost Small Fishermen Their Livelihood
Miami, Florida – Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is pleased to be co-sponsoring legislation that will hold NOAA accountable for consolidating fishing fleets in unpopular Catch Share programs and that can result in fishermen losing their jobs. The bill “Saving Fishing Jobs Act” includes, amongst other provisions, a clause that would require the Secretary of Commerce to terminate a catch share program if it would reduce the total number of fishermen in a catch share by more than15%.
The most important parts of the bill are:
- Forces the Secretary of Commerce to close any catch share program that reduces the total number of fishermen by 15% or more.
- A catch share program can only be implemented if 50% of the fishermen in a given fishery ask for it and 2/3 of the fishermen in the fishery vote to approve it.
- Eligible voters in the referendum are defined as “holders of permits issued under a fisheries management plan.” Previously, NOAA could manipulate the eligible voters to lock out certain fishermen.
- Reforms the program to ensure that taxpayers aren’t picking up the tab on catch share programs.
- Provisions in the legislation only affect the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Gulf of Mexico fisheries.
Said Ros-Lehtinen, “I have met with many local fishermen from my Congressional District and they all complain about the adverse affects of these catch share programs. They are adamantly opposed to the privatization of one of our greatest natural resources which is a primary component of catch shares.
This legislation will hold NOAA accountable for its decisions that result in the decimation of whole fishing communities and the loss of many jobs. These programs have a direct negative impact on our local fishermen so it is logical that this bill would give them greater participation by allowing them to vote on approval of a catch share program.
I urge my colleagues to support this measure because during these tough economic times the federal government should be helping small fishermen and not creating obstacles for them to make a decent living.”