A proper evaluation of these programs should be a top priority before taking action to implement any new programs.
Editor's note · Context
William Kelly calls for careful evaluation of catch share programs before implementation.
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More from William G. Kelly
Catch shares and sector separation are causing enormous economic harm in New England fisheries and trouble is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Those costs are going to get passed on to the supermarket, folks at the checkout counter are going to pay a higher price and it is going to decrease demand for fresh Florida seafood.
This is a program that fishermen weighed in on and did vote for. The issue that I tried to raise and wanted to point out is that there are associated problems connected with the development of these catch share programs.
Fisheries management based on science is the stated policy of NOAA; however, of the 528 fish stocks currently managed by the agency, only 114 are considered adequately assessed.





