Recreational fishermen, commercial-fishing interests and environmental groups seldom all see eye to eye on fisheries-management issues. So you'd hope that when groups as disparate as the International Game Fish Association, the American Bluefin Tuna Association (ABTA, traditional hand-gear commercial fishermen), and the environmental powerhouse the Pew Charitable Trusts all sign onto a letter, they'd have NOAA Fisheries' attention.
For the first time in many years, how this country manages its Atlantic bluefin tuna quota is on the table, in for the form of Amendment 7 to the 2006 Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. Changes that will affect various sectors or user groups in significant ways are likely, so the various interests have been leveraging their positions as NOAA Fisheries works on a proposal due out midsummer.
Click here to download the full editorial from Sport Fishing magazine.