Catch Shares Summary 2

							FACT SHEET
Southerland-Grimm Amendment
FY2013 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act
May 9, 2012


Southerland-Grimm Amendment

      Rep. Steve Southerland (R-FL) and Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) introduced an
       amendment to the FY2013 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act to prohibit all
       funding under the act for the purpose of developing or implementing new catch share
       programs in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Coast that have not already been approved.

      The legislation maintains the status quo and does not impact catch share programs that
       are currently in place for the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.

      The Southerland-Grimm Amendment was approved by the House of Representatives on
       May 9, 2012, by a bipartisan 220-191 margin.



Background Information


      The Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) was amended in 2006 to include provisions
       authorizing regional councils to adopt limited access privilege programs, also known as
       “catch shares.” MSA also has 10 National Standards that must be met when establishing
       management plans. Among these are fairness, use of the best available science,
       economic allocation as a sole purpose is prohibited, measures must prevent overfishing,
       take into account the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities, provide for
       sustained participation of such communities, minimize adverse economic impacts on
       such communities, minimize bycatch and promote safety.

      Must prevent overfishing and must be fair: Catch shares have no sustainability
       measures built-in. They are rather, a method to distribute shares of the allowable catch
       among fishermen. The distribution method is generally based on recent historical catch
       and can grant large windfalls to the few while not granting enough shares to many. This
       unfair distribution has caused dramatic decreases in the fleet, forcing many out of
       business. From 2007 to 2008, Red Snapper permits in the Gulf of Mexico dropped by
       15%. Shares were introduced in 2006.
   Use of best available science: NOAA funds for science have been reallocated to catch
    share programs while Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico hasn’t been assessed since
    2009. Red Snapper in the South Atlantic has been shut down since 2010 with no
    assessment date currently established.

   Take into account the economic impact and provide for sustained participation:
    Catch Share programs rationalized the fleet, through unfair allocation and cause serious
    economic damage to fishing communities along the Atlantic and Gulf regions.
    Additionally, when shares are implemented, they have an adverse effect on recreational
    fishermen, boats for hire, head boats and private anglers. Consequently, hotels,
    restaurants, gas stations, tackle shops and marinas suffer when locals and tourists can’t
    fish.

   Catch share programs are administered by eight regional fisheries management councils
    under the umbrella of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

   The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council manages the fisheries in Federal
    waters off the coasts of the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida
    (off the west coast to Key West). The Council has 17 voting members.

   The Act requires that any type of catch share or fishing quota system developed by the
    New England Council or the Gulf of Mexico Council be approved by a referendum
    among eligible permit holders. However, concerns have been raised by fishermen at
    local council meetings that the referendum process has not been adhered to.
           Support the Southerland-Grimm
          Amendment: Save Coastal Jobs and
                     Fisheries!!
               Support the Southerland-Grimm Amendment
                        Save Coastal Jobs and Fisheries!!
                                          May 8, 2012

Dear Colleague:

The Southerland-Grimm Amendment closes the loophole that was created by environmental
special interest groups to expand Limited Access Privilege Programs, also known as “catch
shares,” along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

Catch shares are no different than any other inside-the-Beltway style tactic determined to destroy
every aspect of American freedom under the guise of “conservation.”

By capping the amount of fish that may be caught annually and gifting a select few with shares
of the annual catch, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
privatizing access to a once open fishery. Make no mistake about it: catch shares are nothing
less than a cap-and-trade management system for our oceans.

The Southerland-Grimm Amendment will stop Washington bureaucrats from picking winners
and losers in our fisheries.
Extreme environmentalists have teamed up with a small group of wealthy fishing corporations to
control who is allowed to fish in America’s waters. Based on biased and flawed science, catch
shares have NOT proven to increase fish populations. These programs serve only to make the
rich richer, while killing jobs, hurting families, and negatively impacting the hardworking men
and women in our coastal comminutes.

The Southerland-Grimm Amendment does NOT change current catch share regulations, it
simply prevents funding within the FY2013 C.J.S. Appropriations Act from developing,
approving, or implementing catch share programs that have not ALREADY been developed,
approved, or implemented.

Please see the attached list of organizations who are STRONGLY OPPOSED to catch shares.

For more information please contact Mike DeFilippis at Michael.defilippis@mail.house.govor at
x67707



Sincerely,



Steve Southerland, II               Michael Grimm

Member of Congress                   Member of Congress



THE LIST BELOW REPRESENTS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE WORKING AND
RECREATIONAL FISHERMEN OF THE GULF OF MEXICO OPPOSED TO CATCH
                            SHARES




NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS



National Association of Charterboat Operators

Recreational Fishing Alliance

Food and Water Watch
REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Southeastern Fisheries Association

Southern Offshore Fishing Association

Fishing Rights Alliance

America Alliance of Fishermen and Communities


STATE ASSOCIATIONS



Florida

Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association

Florida Guides Association

Organized Fishermen of Florida


Alabama



Alabama Seafood Association



LOUISIANA



Louisiana Shrimp Association



Texas

Recreational Fishing Alliance, Texas Chapter

Texas Shrimp Association
LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS



Florida

Panama City Boatmen Association

Marco Island Charter Captains Association

Pensacola Charter Boat Association

Pensacola Recreational Fisherman’s Association

Islamorada Charter Boat Association

Destin Charter Boat Association

Key West Charter Boat Association

Organized Fishermen of Florida, Marathon Chapter

SFA East Coast Fisheries Section

Directed Sustainable Fisheries, Inc




Mississippi



Mississippi Charter Boat Captains Association



Texas

Port Aransas Boatmen, Inc

Coastal Bend Guides Association


SEAFOOD DEALERS
Florida

Greg Abrams Seafood

Water Street Seafood

Key Largo Fisheries

Raffield Fisheries

A.P. Bell Fish Company, Inc

Star Fish Company of Cortez, Inc

Madeira Group, Inc

Pelican Seafood

David Barber Seafood

Seafood Atlantic

Kings Seafood

Madeira Beach Seafood Co.

Saveon Seafood Co.

Stokes Fish Company

Sunnyland Seafood

RS Enterprise

#1 Discount Corner

Blendedin, Inc

Capt. Alex Seafood

Capt. Eddie’s Seafood, Inc

Gary’s Seafood Specialties, Inc
Hull’s Seafood

Mermaid Foods, Inc

A.M Fishing Products

Starboard, Inc

Dixon Seafood

John Mantia & Sons

DFI Seafood

Fortune Fish Co

Nachman’s Native Seafood

Seacore Seafood Inc

Sea Farms Inc

Billy’s Stone Crab

MB Seafood Company, Inc

Cape Canaveral Shrimp Co.

Wild Ocean Seafood Market

Top Tuna, Inc



Alabama

Bryant Seafood

ABC Sport Fishing

Anna’s Seafood

Bryant Products

Fish Bones
Get Seafood

J D Seafood

P J Seafood

Ranch Seafood

Safe Harbour Seafood

Wallace Seafood Trader

Z-Packed Seafood


Mississippi

Clark Seafood

Louisiana

Dean Blanchard Seafood

Sharko Seafood Intl, Inc

Griffin Seafood


BAIT AND TACKLE SHOPS



Florida



Fishermens Ice and Bait



RESTAURANTS



Florida
Rusty Belly Restaurant

Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant

Captain’s Table

MARINAS



Florida

Hubbards Marina

Captain Anderson’s Marina

Smith’s Yacht Basin

Madeira Marine Services

Mexico Beach Marina




Texas



Woody’s Sport Center

Fishermen’s Wharf




MARINE SUPPORT BUSINESSES


Duys Marine Electronics

Watkins Oil Company, Inc
Addictive Bottom Cleaning

The Grove of Mexico Beach

Sun Dance Realty

The Shell Shack

Emerald Coast Jewelry

Frost Pottery Garden

Shoreline Styles

Iveys Nail Spa

Catheys Ace Hardware

Parker Realty of Mexico Beach

The Driftwood Inn

El Governor Hotel

Toucans Restaurant

Metcalf Electric

Forgotten Coast Property Management and Rentals

Gulf Foods of Mexico Beach

The Trading Post Cape San Blas

Beach Barber Shop

Harmon Real Estate and Rentals




Visit the e-Dear Colleague Service to manage your subscription to the available Issue and Party list(s).