HR-5425

According to an April 11, 2008 article by John Geiser in the Asbury Park Press, Congressman Frank Pallone introduced bill HR-5425 is gaining momentum.

The bill calls for flexibility in fisheries management. For example, Summer Flounder (Fluke) stocks are robust, and growing. In fact, the biomass is at an historic high. However, due to the current laws, fishing quotas have been declining each year, in order to meet an arbitrary biomass target (which is about two times the current historic high) and an arbitrary date (2013).

The dichotomy here is that certain groups are pushing fisheries managers to “enforce the law” to meet the arbitrary targets by reducing quotas, while doing so is hurting small family-owned businesses such as bait and tackle shops and party and charter boat businesses, as well as other small businesses that rely on income from fishermen before and after the peak summer tourist season. Many are going out of business. The current law does not take into account the socio-economic impact it has.

In a case such as Striped Bass in the 1980’s and Tautog today, reducing the quotas makes sense, in order to relieve fishing pressure on the stocks and to allow them to rebuild.

This is not the case with Fluke today. The stocks are high and growing. The flexibility proposed in HR-5425 will allow for the continued growth of the Fluke biomass, without putting small family-owned businesses out of business.

For more, click on the following links to articles on this subject:

May 9, 2008

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/SPORTS06/805090322

May 3, 2008

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/SPORTS06/80503050

April 11, 2008

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804110349

April 4, 2008

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/SPORTS06/80404009