A recent post by Susan Shipman in the Atlanta Journal Constitution paints a frustrating story of the woes of fishermen and restaurant and seafood market owners. When the Magnuson-Stevens Act was passed, its main goal was to place the decision making ability in the hands of regional councils consisting of local stakeholders. However, with the passing of the Jones Amendment by Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina, the decision making ability of these regional councils has been stripped away and instead placed it back in the hands of Washington.
This means that the innovative and cost effective management strategy known as catch shares or individual fishing quotas (IFQ) is off the table in regions such as the South Atlantic. Catch shares allow for year round fishing and this is important for fishermen, restaurant and seafood market owners, and communities because it provides a continuous supply of fresh and local seafood and allows fishermen to avoid fishing in dangerous conditions.
Click here to read the article.