The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday announced it will contribute USD 16 million (EUR 12 million) of its 2009 budget to assist the Northeast fishing industry with the transition to management of the fisheries by sectors and catch shares.
"We worked hard to find ways to provide quick and meaningful help to the fishing industry through increased cooperative research and assistance in setting up the infrastructure for the new management system based on sectors and catch shares," said Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator. "NOAA is committed to working with fishing communities to find long-term solutions that create sustainable and profitable fisheries."
USD 6 million (EUR 4.5 million) will go to cooperative research, enhancing existing projects in which fishermen and scientists work together to improve surveys of fish stocks, as well as develop and test fishing gear that targets healthy stocks.
The remaining USD 10 million (EUR 7.5 million) will be used to develop data reporting and fishery monitoring systems to better analyze fishing efforts, document catches and track fishing permit transfers.
"The resources announced today will help the region transition to a better future, a future characterized by healthy fisheries and healthy oceans," said Patricia Kurkul, northeast regional administrator for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.
On Monday, NOAA announced new interim fishing regulations for the New England groundfish fishery and that it is working with the New England Fishery Management Council to develop new groundfish management measures that will include an expanded number of fishing sectors. The catch shares system will replace the current method of limiting fishing through days at sea.
April 7, 2009
