Tuna Plan a ‘Sellout,’ Snowe Says

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 8:44 am

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, the ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, blasted a top fisheries official for the administration’s stand on tuna fishery limits last week. She said the move is “selling out” American fishermen.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco said at a meeting of the International Commission on Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Paris, France that catch limits should be lowered.

During an interview, Dr. Lubchenco asserted that NOAA believes a reduction in the total allowable catch of bluefin tuna is warranted in both the heavily overfished eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock – fish caught mainly by European and African nations – and the western Atlantic stock which is harvested primarily by the United States and Canada.

While data has shown that the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock has been consistently and excessively overexploited, the most recent scientific report released by ICCAT’s Standing Committee on Research and Statistics in September shows the western stock is in far better shape. That is thanks largely to strict management and conservation measures enforced by the United States and adhered to by domestic fishermen.

“By suggesting that reductions in total allowable catch of bluefin tuna are warranted in both the eastern and western Atlantic, NOAA is effectively selling out U.S. fishermen who for years have adhered to strict catch limits and conservation measures now proven to have boosted the health of the bluefin population,” said Sen. Snowe. “Our fishermen operate under the world’s strictest management regime, and their sacrifices are largely responsible for the optimism found in the most recent scientific assessment for western Atlantic bluefin.

Recently, Sen. Snowe sent a letter to the NOAA administrator, co-signed by nine of her colleagues from the New England delegation, asking that the U.S. delegation to ICCAT focus its attention on pursuing aggressive action ensuring all nations’ compliance with and enforcement of ICCAT policies. They also urged reliance on science to drive management decisions, and implementation of policies that incentivize actions to ensure a sustainable future for all ICCAT species, particularly Atlantic bluefin tuna. The letter also asked the U.S. delegation to pursue a modest increase in the catch limits for western bluefin from the current level of 1,800 metric tons.

“The question the U.S. delegation should be asking is whether we want to incentivize or punish good behavior on the part of ICCAT members,” added Sen. Snowe. “We must allow science to dictate management measures, and in this case, the data is clear: there is room for an increase in the catch limit for western bluefin, yet we must push for further restrictions on catch limits in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.”

Sen. Snowe’s letter to Dr. Lubchenco was signed by Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire and Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and by Reps. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Chellie Pingree of Maine, Mike Michaud of Maine, John Tierney of Massachusetts, Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, and Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts.