Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
256 Figueroa Street #1, Monterey, CA 93940
www.alliancefisheries.com

           

Back to the fisherman.  Show compassion and remember they contribute to the process even when they disagree. When he stops attending meetings and gives up ... we have failed. That must never happen.

 

To conclude, I can’t help but feel that much of our problems are due to our legislators - members of Congress failing to fully engage the fishing community as to what they need for practical, sustainable management.  There has also been a failure to provide National Marine Fisheries with adequate funding, particularly to fund good science.  Congress has also given us some confusing laws.  On this last point the question of how the precautionary principle has been so abused and how NOAA Fisheries has been subject to lawsuit after lawsuit over interpretation issues and now you have conflicts between the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the National Marine Sanctuary Act about who will regulate fishing. 

 

These are all in the hands of Congress.  It is very hard to feel like Congress hasn’t failed their fishing families to a large degree.  With all this talk about new oceans bills and ecosystem based management, its hard to believe it really means anything when Congress has failed so miserably so far to provide clear direction and funding even for the management processes we have today.

 

Thank you.