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RFA To President Obama - Just Say "No" To Catch Shares
New Quota Scheme "Flies In The Face Of The Public Trust
Doctrine"
Washington DC - In an official letter dated
June 12, 2009, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) Board
of Directors and Executive Director have asked President
Obama to maintain traditional recreational fishing access
consistent with the public trust doctrine, while also
allowing fishing and the rebuilding of coastal fisheries to
occur simultaneously. "Although we have seen no formal
position from your administration regarding recreational
catch shares, we are concerned that the environmental groups
are seeking to kill our open access tradition with little
thought to impact such actions will have on coastal
communities and individual freedoms," the letter said.
In reaching out to the Obama administration, the RFA is
hoping to build continued support throughout the Capitol for
the future protection of traditional recreational fishing
access. The plea on behalf of the recreational fishing
community is in response to recent proposal entered on the
record at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council by a
Texas-based conservation group, suggesting that recreational
fishing should be considered under "a catch shares program"
whereby individual recreational fishing quotas are allotted
through a bidding process. While directly referencing the
proposal by the Houston-based Coastal Conservation
Association (CCA), the RFA also points to lobbying groups
like Environmental Defense Fund as pressing the Obama
Administration for "legislation to require that catch shares
be considered in all fishery management plans by 2012.
"Mr. President, there is no place for 'catch shares' or
'individual fishing quotas' (IFQ) within the recreational
fishing sector," said James Donofrio in signing on behalf of
the RFA. "An IFQ or catch share fishery for recreational
fishing would collapse our coastal businesses, from the
marinas, tackle shops, boat dealers, and for-hire industry,
on along to the restaurants, hotels, gas stations and
grocery stores which rely on a vibrant tourism boost from
recreational fishing activity. Such impacts will not be
exclusive to the seaside regions, as the trickle-up effect
to wholesalers and manufacturers would also be immediately
felt in the heartland."
While Limited Access Privilege Programs (LAPP) are being
issued throughout the commercial fishing sector, the RFA
points out that proposals to privatize the recreational
fishing community would have serious negative impacts on the
recreational sector in terms of active participation and
overall economics. "The power of the recreational fishing
industry supports over 500,000 jobs, and generates over $38
billion in value-added impacts each year," RFA's letter
stated, adding "This new scheme for the privatization of our
nation's marine resources would be devastating to our
overall economy, and flies in the face of the public trust
doctrine which protects the interest and rights of the
public to free access of marine and riparian places for
fishing and navigation."
RFA encourages members to
download the letter and forward your their own copy
to President Obama, respectfully asking for support of the
recreational fishing community. See the RFA's full letter
to Mr. Obama by visiting www.joinrfa.org/Press/PresidentObama_061209.pdf.
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The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national,
grassroots political action organization representing
recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry
on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard
the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and
tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term
sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries.
For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit
www.joinrfa.org.
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