Mfcn Winter 2007

Network News

Vol. 12, Issue 1 March 2007

President Signs Magnuson-Stevens Act

In this Issue... Letter from the Executive Director

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Federal Government Receives B+ on Fisheries 3 New Developments at the Network 4-5 New Network Member

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Pacific Update

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Gulf of Mexico Update

6 White House photo by Paul Morse

Mid-Atlantic Update

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South Atlantic Update

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Calendar

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~~~~~~ The Marine Fish Conservation Network (Network) is a coalition of more than 190 environmental organizations, commercial and recreational fishing associations, and marine science groups that advocates national policies to achieve healthy oceans and productive fisheries. Please visit: www.conservefish.org

President George W. Bush prepares to sign H.R. 5946, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, Friday, Jan. 12, 2007 in the Oval Office at the White House. President Bush is joined by, from left, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Sen. Olympia Snow of Maine, Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia., Rep. Jim Saxton of New Jersey, Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, Rep. Don Young of Alaska, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland.

In early December 2006, the last hours of the 109th Congress saw the passage of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006. The President signed the bill into law on January 12th, finalizing reauthorization of the MSA, which increases protections for fishermen, ocean wildlife, and marine environments around the country. The Network would like to thank Congress, particularly Senators Stevens and Inouye, Representatives Rahall, Allen, and Farr, and their staff for all of their hard work on the legislation. The Network also thanks President Bush for his strong stance against overfishing throughout the process. One of the most important improvements in the law is the provision that requires an end to overfishing on depleted fish populations within two years. Another significant provision requires Science and Statistical Committees to

provide regional fishery management councils with scientific recommendations for setting fishing levels and for the councils to follow the recommendations. The law also established a Fishery Management and Conservation Trust Fund to provide financial assistance to fishermen and improve fishery data. While the reauthorization makes important improvements to current fisheries law, it falls short of including some of the key recommendations from the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. For example, there are no specific measures to broaden council representation to include more members of the public. The true test of the law’s value lies with its implementation. Congress has made important strides toward responsible management on paper; now, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) needs to take action to effectively implement those improvements. NMFS should (continued on page 2)

MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

A Letter from the Executive Director Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorized at Last In the waning hours of the 109th Congress, lawmakers passed the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This represented a lot of hard work by Senators Stevens and Inouye, Representatives Rahall, Allen, and Farr, and their staffs. When the Network was asked our opinion of the final bill prior to passage, we were torn. While the bill contained important new conservation requirements, it did little to implement many of the fisheries management reforms that we had championed for so long. Many Network members wanted to continue working for many of these reforms with a new Congress. After much discussion, we decided to not take a position for or against the bill. As we have studied the legislation, we recognize there is plenty to like. First and foremost, the final bill did not contain any of the provisions advocated by former Representative Richard Pombo to exempt Magnuson-Stevens Act actions from coverage under NEPA or the rebuilding requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Add to that new requirements to establish annual science-based catch limits that prevent overfishing and new requirements to end overfishing on depleted fish populations within two years, and the bill solidly advances conservation. Finally, the bill contains a detailed set of standards for limited access privilege programs (LAPPs) to help enhance conservation and protect fishermen and fishing communities. These protections are necessary because poorly designed LAPPs, like the recently established Bering Sea and Aleutian Island crab fishery, can devastate fishing communities. In that crab fishery more than 1000 people lost their jobs, and bycatch actually increased. Thanks to the hard work of Representative Allen and Rahall, Congress created protections to help ensure that these problems are not replicated in other fisheries. But passing a law is only half the battle. NMFS must now implement it. Preliminary indications regarding the NEPA and catch limit requirements are very encouraging. The news for LAPPs is not as good. Even though the bill contains 22 pages of language describing how LAPPs should be established and conducted, amazingly NMFS has no plans to write regulations. Instead, NMFS plans to release a report describing implementation options. Given the amount of effort that Congress put into the LAPP standards, it’s clear that Congress intended for these standards to be put into practice. We will be working closely with Congress to encourage NMFS to develop LAPP regulations. So, while we’ve finished one chapter of the Magnuson book, another is just beginning. Let’s hope that this chapter also has a happy ending. Yours for the fish and fishermen,

Lee R. Crockett

President Sign MSA

(continued)

take this bill as a clear message from Congress and from President Bush that our oceans and the people who depend on them require better management of our ocean fisheries. The Magnuson-Stevens Act can only be as strong as the support it is given. One of the weakest links in that support is funding. The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI) issued a report card which gave the federal government an F for new funding for ocean policy MARINE FISH and programs. The sobering report card explains how “chronic underinvestment has left much of our ocean-related infrastructure in woefully poor condition, management programs struggling to meet the information demands of decision makers, [and] ocean scientists competing for a smaller percentage of the federal research budget.” (For more information on the JOCI report card, see article, page 3).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on February 8 that the agency requested a total budget of $3.8 billion, which is an increase of 3.4 percent from the Administration’s 2007 request. Despite the additional funds, Admiral James D. Watkins, co-chair of the JOCI, stated that, “I don’t think anybody should be misled that that’s enough to solve our problem.” Of NOAA’s total budget, $17.1 million is dedicated to implementation of the revised Magnuson-Stevens Act.

CONSERVATION NETWORK

A portion of this funding should be used for improving scientific data used in fishery management decisions. Some fishermen currently object to following scientific recommendations because they believe these recommendations are based on old or less than comprehensive data. Increased funding will give Science and (continued on page 3)

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MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

Federal Government Earns B+ for Fisheries Management The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI) issued its U.S. Ocean Policy Report Card in January of 2007, giving the federal government a B+ for fisheries management reform. This relatively high grade, which is an improvement on last year’s C+, is largely a result of the successful reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The report card cites some of the successes manifest in the reauthorization, including stronger roles for science in the management process and more clarity and rigor in the deadlines for ending overfishing. These improvements, though refreshing and long awaited, should not overshadow some of the gaps in the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s conservation provisions. While the B+ is encouraging, the government should strive for a higher mark by adopting more of the recommendations of the JOCI. Now that the Magnuson-Stevens Act has been reauthorized, the Network is calling on the National Marine Fisheries Service to effectively implement robust regulations so that the law’s intent will be realized. The federal government must also produce a healthy budget to implement these regulations. The JOCI report card gave the government an F in the area of new funding for ocean policy and programs. This grade is indicative of the federal government’s abysmal record of financial support for sea programs. The Network is encouraging Congress to designate the necessary fiscal resources for MSA implementation and enforcement. Without wind in its sails, this ship cannot embark.

Statistical Committees updated data to make informed and responsible decisions about the various ecosystems and fish populations for which they are responsible.

We encourage NMFS to create regulations that clearly require regional councils to follow the spirit of the law and maintain sustainable fisheries. The Network plans to participate in listening sessions and public hearings, and we will also encourage Congress to hold oversight hearings if federal fishery managers do not fully implement the law in a timely manner.

The Network plans to take advantage of the various opportunities in the NMFS implementation process to provide recommendations about the new fishery regulations. Specifically, the Network will work with NMFS as it develops regulations for National Standard 1 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which mandates against overfishing, and for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act. The Network will also be pushing for regulations for limited access privilege programs (LAPPs). The failure to set strong regulations for LAPPs would allow councils to implement programs that could ultimately hurt fishermen and the fish populations on which they rely.

The President’s signing of this important law was an occasion for celebration, but federal fishery managers have much work left to do. The Network looks forward to working with NMFS and the regional councils to successfully implement the revised Magnuson-Stevens Act in order to move our ocean fisheries toward a healthier and more sustainable future.

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MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

New Developments at the Network On the heels of the recent reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we are proud to announce some exciting new developments at the Marine Fish Conservation Network. The Network recently announced its new status as an independent non-profit, complete with a newly elected Board of Directors, a new mission statement, and a new logo. We also introduced our new initiatives now that the Magnuson-Stevens Act has been reauthorized, namely a dedicated campaign to ensure that the new law is fully implemented and a collaboration with the National Coalition for Marine Conservation on its new “Forage First!” initiative to move fisheries management toward an ecosystem-based approach. The Network is also proud to announce an important partnership with the conservation-minded apparel retailer, Patagonia.

The New Logo and Mission Statement Patagonia designed our new Network logo. The Network had been looking for a symbol that would better reflect our intent to protect our oceans and to support the fishermen and other people who depend upon them. We are thrilled to introduce our new logo, and we thank Patagonia for its bold and creative design that better reflects the Network’s mission.

The Network is also unveiling its new mission statement:

The Marine Fish Conservation Network advocates national policies to achieve healthy oceans and productive fisheries. The Board of Directors The Board of Directors is directly responsible for hiring the Executive Director. It also manages the financial and operational dynamics of the Marine Fish Conservation Network. We would like to celebrate the recent additions to our Board of Directors: Gerald Leape, National Environmental Trust (Co-Chair of the Network) – In addition to Co-Chairing the Network, Gerry serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. He is vice president of the Marine Conservation program at the National Environmental Trust (NET) and prior to that, he was primary spokesperson for whale and fisheries issues at Greenpeace U.S.A. Gerry has been involved in politics, fundraising, and advocacy for twenty-three years.

Jay Nelson, Pew Charitable Trusts (President of the Network Board of Directors) – Jay Nelson is employed with the Pew Charitable Trusts as director of the Ocean Legacy Project, an effort to protect large ocean ecosystems. He was previously Oceana’s Vice President for North American Oceans and prior to that was a program officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts responsible for their marine conservation portfolio. Jay was also working on contract to the Regional Marine Conservation Project to achieve permanent and full protection of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, which were recently designated as a national monument. This designation is a historic conservation success and a point of pride for the Bush Administration and the many, including Jay, who helped make it possible.

Peter Huhtala, Pacific Marine Conservation Council (Co-Chair of the Network) – A native of Astoria, Oregon, Peter Huhtala is Senior Policy Director for Pacific Marine Conservation Council (PMCC), a West Coast non-profit organization that advocates for sustainable fisheries and a healthy marine environment. Peter coordinates PMCC’s directed work with state and federal managers, legislators, and allied groups. He is an active member of the board of advisors for Columbia Riverkeeper, where he previously served as president. Peter has strong ties to the West Coast fishing community and is well-known for his voracious advocacy on behalf of estuary and marine environments. He somehow finds time to write songs, perform, and record.

Michelle Pilliod, Pilliod Meeting Planning – Michelle has owned and operated her full-service, strategic planning and incentives company, Pilliod Meeting Planning, for the past fourteen years. She provides custom, professional meeting designs for an impressively diverse clientele. She was honored in 2000 as the Marriot Corporation’s Meeting Planner of the Year and was the company keynote speaker the annual Marriott TQM meeting in Cancun, Mexico. She has published articles in meeting and planning trade magazines, and she regularly coaches seminars at companies with in-house conference planning departments on how to plan and execute effective and budget-friendly meetings and incentive programs. 4

MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

A Partnership with Patagonia As a part of our commitment to ensuring a future for America’s fish and fishermen, the Network has entered into a partnership with Patagonia, a clothing retailer renowned for its dedication to conservation-oriented causes. Patagonia periodically launches environmental campaigns to raise awareness of threats to our wild landscapes; the company’s 2006-7 “Ocean’s as Wilderness” campaign focuses on the plight of the oceans. Patagonia has also pledged its support for the Network’s grassroots fundraising efforts by contributing a generous grant. In January 2007, Patagonia unveiled its “Oceans as Wilderness II” T-shirt in its catalogues and on its Web site that features an ocean-themed design. Five dollars from the sale of each T-shirt will be donated to the Network. The Patagonia “Oceans as Wilderness” Web page can be found at http:// www.patagonia.com/oceans.

New Initiatives MSA Implementation After the passage of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act, the Network disbanded, believing its work was done. Less than two years later, the Network was re-established when its founders realized that effective implementation of the law was a conspicuous problem and challenge. We have learned our lesson, and with this year’s reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we will continue to work with federal fishery managers to ensure that they properly and rigorously implement the law. We call on the National Marine Fisheries Service to enact strong regulations to protect our fish stocks. We are also calling on the Congress to dedicate more funding to our oceans so that the financial resources are in place to make certain that the spirit of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is realized. Forage Fish Initiative The Network is joining with the National Coalition for Marine Conservation in a national campaign to protect the ocean forage base, as part of the push for an ecosystem-based approach to managing the nation’s fisheries. Recent reports released by the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy have indicated that exclusive, individual species-oriented approaches to fisheries management and stock rebuilding efforts are not effective for protecting our oceans in the long-term. Instead, fisheries managers must account for the entire ecosystem in their management decisions. Forage, or prey, species in our oceans, such as krill, sardines, and menhaden, are the main food sources for the fish we find on our dinner tables. In other words, they are the nuts and bolts of marine ecosystems, and it is imperative to preserve their abundant levels. Protecting the ocean forage base is a first step toward this ecosystem-based approach because it calls for managing forage fish for the benefit of the entire ecosystem as well as the needs of human consumption.

Welcome New Network Member Oregon Ocean 5151 NW Cornell Road Portland, OR 97210 [email protected] www.oregonocean.org Oregon Ocean is a statewide alliance promoting the protection and restoration of marine life and habitat for a healthy ocean, thriving communities, and our children’s future.

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MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

Pacific Update

showing that bigeye and albacore tuna are experiencing overfishing.

Overfishing on yellowfin tuna The Pacific Council manages five tuna species. Only one, north Pacific albacore, has significant (greater than 10 percent of Pacific-wide total) catches in the council’s jurisdiction. In December 2004, NMFS notified the council that bigeye tuna was experiencing overfishing, triggering a one-year timeframe for the council to end overfishing on the stock. Photo: NOAA Nevertheless, the council took two years to take action to end overfishing. Unfortunately, the council has another opportunity to meet the one-year requirement to end overfishing on a tuna species; NMFS notified the council in October 2006 that yellowfin tuna is experiencing overfishing. Previously, the council and NMFS claimed that they did not know whether yellowfin tuna was experiencing overfishing because they did not have reference points to make such a determination.

Council moves toward ecosystem-based management? The council directed its habitat committee and a sub-committee of its scientific and statistical committee to undertake a literature review of ecosystem-based fishery management efforts. The committees completed the task and requested permission from the council to meet again to make recommendations to the council on the utility of pursuing an umbrella fishery ecosystem plan that would support existing fishery management plans. The council approved the request. In its final newsletter of 2006, the council declared its intention to develop a fishery ecosystem plan that would not change any of the single species fishery management plans in place, but act as an umbrella to inform those single-species plans. Council rejects proposals to reduce bycatch in groundfish fishery The council rejected a proposal to allow groundfish trawl permit holders to switch from high-bycatch trawl gear to low-bycatch fixed gear (hook and line gear). The decision amplifies the council’s earlier decision to approve a bycatch reduction plan that does nothing to reduce bycatch immediately and presupposes success based on development of an IFQ program. The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires councils to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable. Despite multiple past and present practical proposals to minimize bycatch, the council insists on forcing fishermen to continue to use this highest-bycatch gear on its most valuable fishery.

Council pushes forward on plans for increasing fishing on populations experiencing overfishing In November 2006, the council voted to proceed with required analyses necessary to allow a new pelagic longline fishery for swordfish, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, and albacore tuna despite the likelihood of catching endangered sea turtles and despite evidence

Gulf of Mexico Update

scenario from 10.2 million pounds to 17.2 million pounds when the red snapper population is fully rebuilt in 2032.

Red snapper The existing rebuilding plan for red snapper calls for ending overfishing between 2009 and 2010. In order to meet this goal, NMFS is projecting much lower annual quotas for red snapper for the next three years in order to meet the Gulf Council’s rebuilding goal of 2032.

Neither of these scenarios is promising in the short-term for fishermen, but short-term thinking is exactly what put the Gulf Council in the current situation. Remember, when the Gulf Council developed the existing rebuilding plan for red snapper, it did not set the annual quota in line with scientific recommendations. Instead, the Gulf Council set the annual quota 50 percent higher than recommended in the hopes that shrimp trawl bycatch would go down due to the economic hardships on that fishery. As one Gulf Council member said during the January meeting, “you pay now or you pay later.” This is clearly the case.

NMFS proposed two scenarios. One scenario reduces the amount of Photo: NOAA red snapper killed in shrimp trawls by 50 percent compared to the amount killed between 2001 and 2003. Under this scenario, the annual quota between 2008 and 2010 should be set no higher than 2.8 to 3.3 million pounds. For comparison, in 2006 the annual quota for recreational and commercial fishermen was 9.12 million pounds. In 2032, when the stock is rebuilt, fishermen will be able to catch 10.2 million pounds annually.

Limited access privilege programs On January 1, 2007, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico got their first taste of a new management scheme known as a limited access privilege program (LAPP), or specifically, an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program, which is the most common type of LAPP. LAPPs allocate a set percentage of the total annual quota for a population of fish exclusively to individuals or businesses as quota shares. The LAPP designed by the Gulf Council and approved by NMFS will give fishermen exclusive privileges to catch and sell a percentage of the red snapper total allowable catch.

The second scenario is tougher on shrimpers and realizes higher catches for recreational and commercial fishermen in the short-term and the long-term. By reducing the amount of red snapper killed in shrimp trawls by 74 percent, the annual quota for red snapper fishermen can be set no higher than 4.5 to 5.3 million pounds for 2008 through 2010. In the long-term, annual catches improve in this

In addition, the Gulf Council has asked the commercial grouper fleet to come up with recommendations for creating a grouper LAPP by the March council meeting. 6

MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

Mid-Atlantic Update

measures to rebuild butterfish. One of the most effective recommendations, however, is being ignored. Increasing the mesh size in the Loligo fishery would allow more butterfish to escape, but it would lower the amount of Loligo caught.

Summer flounder recreational measures set for 2007 At the December MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council meeting, the council voted to support the Monitoring Committee’s Photo: Carl Safina recommendation to manage summer flounder using conservation equivalency. Conservation equivalency is a state regime that allows states to determine bag limits, minimum size, and seasons. The measures will be based on a 17.1 million pound landing level between the recreational and commercial sectors. Following the recent reauthorization of the MSA, which extends the summer flounder rebuilding deadline by three years to 2013, NMFS issued an emergency rule to increase the landings to 17.1 million pounds. Under the new rule, recreational anglers can now land up to 6.8 million pounds.

Instead, the council is leaning toward a rebuilding plan that will cap landings at current levels with no directed butterfish fishery in years one through three. The council will consider other measures in the remaining years, including but not limited to: 1) butterfish bycatch cap by trimester which will close the Loligo fishery when the cap is exceeded; 2) no discard rules in high discard areas (to discourage fishing in those areas); 3) tradable bycatch quota; 4) variable trip limits based on minimum cod end mesh size; and 5) designation of clean fishing windows where minimal butterfish bycatch can be demonstrated. Given current trends, there is a distinct possibility that butterfish recruitment will continue to lag even with the proposed management measures in place. The council’s unwillingness to restore the stock sooner may result in more draconian reductions later, hurting fish and fishermen. NMFS director bites at regional circle hook workshop Director of NMFS, Dr. Bill Hogarth, has accepted the Mid-Atlantic Council’s offer to collaborate with NMFS on a workshop to introduce a voluntary program encouraging a greater use of circle hooks in the recreational fishery. Based on previous discussions, the fisheries “participating” in the program may include: summer flounder, scup, bluefish, and tilefish. The workshop will be held some time in mid-2007, pending Congressional budget approval.

Rebuilding butterfish In 2005, NMFS designated butterfish as overfished. This distinction is mainly due to bycatch in the Loligo squid fishery. Over the past twenty years, butterfish discards averaged between 17.6 million pounds to 22 million pounds annually. In an effort to restore the population to full health, the council is developing alternative

South Atlantic Update

rebuilding snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy, all of which are overfished. Adding bycatch mortality will allow more accurate estimates of fishing mortality, which will increase the probability of rebuilding. However, the council also approved a provision that would allow for up to 20 percent of the allowed catch to be carried over into the next year if it is not caught in the first year. Allowing these “underages” can damage already depleted populations that need enough undisturbed individuals to reproduce. An underage may also indicate that fish population is more diminished than originally thought. The council is scheduled to approve the amendment containing these rebuilding plans at its June 2007 meeting, followed by a suite of public hearings.

Photo by NOAA

Limited access privilege programs The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is considering the development of a limited access privilege program (LAPP) in the commercial snapper grouper fishery as a way to reduce capacity and address chronic overfishing. In January 2007, the Controlled Access Committee met to discuss preliminary steps, as well as potential goals, challenges, and benefits of such a Photo: NOAA program. The committee made nominations for membership of a Controlled Access Steering Committee, which under current design would be a workgroup consisting of various and wide-ranging fishing interests from all four states in the South Atlantic, as well as one environmental representative, most likely from Environmental Defense. The workgroup would also potentially include non-voting members, one from the recreational fishing sector, and one to two from the NMFS and from Sea Grant.

Mackerel In a preventative step to protect king and Spanish mackerel from overfishing, the council approved a new amendment to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan that reduces the quota or total allowable catch (TAC) for both species. This amendment will go through public hearings in early 2007. Gag grouper The council determined that the recent SEDAR (Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review) stock assessment, which found gag grouper to be in critical danger of becoming overfished, has significant errors and must be redone. The new assessment should be available in February, with review and possible action taken in June of 2007.

Rebuilding plans The council took the advice of the Science and Statistical Committee and added in estimates of bycatch mortality (the incidental catching and killing of marine life while targeting other species) to the calculations of fishing levels necessary for 7

MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK “...To Achieve Healthy Oceans and Productive Fisheries.” Calendar of Events

March 5-9 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting Jekyll Island, Georgia http://www.safmc.net/ March 13-16 Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Honolulu, Hawaii http://www. wpcouncil.org/

April 10-12 New England Fishery Management Council Meeting Mystic, Connecticut http://www.nefmc.org/

June 4-12 North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Sitka, Alaska http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/

March 26-30 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Meeting Destin, Florida http://www.gulfcouncil.org/

April 17-19 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting Ocean City, Maryland http://www.mafmc.org/

June 10-15 Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Foster City, California http://www.pcouncil.org/

March 26-30 North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Anchorage, Alaska http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/

JUNE June 2-9 National Fishing and Boating Week

June 11-15 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting Key West, Florida http://safmc.net/

APRIL April 1-6 Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Seattle, Washington http://www.pcouncil.org/

June 4-8 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Meeting New Orleans, Louisiana http://www.gulfcouncil.org/

June 18-21 Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council Meeting TBA http://www.wpcouncil.org/

Marine Fish Conservation Network 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 210 Washington, DC 20003

MARCH March 4-9 Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Sacramento, California http://www.pcouncil.org/

March 20-21 Caribbean Fishery Management Council Meeting Ponce, Puerto Rico http://www.caribbeanfmc.com/

www.conservefish.org Phone: 202-543-5509 Fax: 202-543-5774

FEBRUARY February 20-22 Ad Hoc Groundfish Trawl Individual Quota Committee Meeting Portland, Oregon http://www.council.org/