Issue: Allocation

Alliance Position Paper -- Our position on the issue, and an explanation of why it matters and recommendations for future allocation policy decisions.

Allocation of Fish Between The Gulf of Mexico’s Commercial and Recreational Fisheries

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recommends plans to protect and regulate fisheries for the common good. Their recommendations to allocation of fish to the commercial and recreational sectors will influence conservation, economic and social outcomes in fishing.  The Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance offers the following comments and recommendations.

1. Establish safe Annual Catch Limits

Many Gulf fisheries already have established catch limits.  In cases where they don't, the best science should be to set them.  Whenn no science is avaiable, base the catch limits on recent landings.

2. Allocation is an important conservation, economic and social issue

Once the catch limit is set, the sahre of catch to be allocated to a particular sector often attracts a lot of attention.  The overriding concern, however, must be achieving the managemnt plan goals, especially conserving fish on which the fisherhy depends.  Good stewardship is hte only path to accountability, rising catches and fewer conflicts.  Allocations and re-allocations should favor sectors having effective management and accountability over those tht do not to best meet the conservation and economic goals of fisheries management.

3. Methods used to make initial allocations of fish to each sector should be fair and consistent

When an allocation is established, it should not be adjusted except as discussed below.  The Gulf Council has indentified four methods on which initial alloaction of fish to each sector could be based including market strategies (e.g., auctions), socio-economic critieria, negotiations, and historical catch.  Each method has pros and cons.  When an allocaiton is not established, we recommend a fair and consistent method based on the average catches from 1997-2007.  Using this method for several important species - red and gag grouper, greater amberjack, gray triggerfish, vermillion, and yellowtail snapper and king mackerel - would result in close to an even split (combined catches) between the commercial and recreational fisheries.

4. Allocation adjustments should occur only through limited trading between sectors having catch share managment and rigorous accountability

Management with catch shares is the only way to recover and maintain stocks and provide strict accountability in both commerrcial and recreational fisheries.  Thus, we recommend that trading ony occur between sectors operating under catch share managment.  In additiona, the amount of fish allocated to each sector has important implications for coastal businessess ranging from tackle dealers, marina services, seafood dealers, restaurants and tourism.  Therefore, we recommend that trading be allowed back and forth betwee sectors and limited to a designated percentage of the annual allocation issued to each sector.

 

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