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Nineteen Representatives urge Congress to not fund catch shares
"The last thing the American government should be doing in these economic times is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to expand programs that will put even more Americans out of work," the letter stated.
Catch Shares logo courtesy of NOAA.
Catch Shares logo courtesy of NOAA.
Nineteen Representatives urge Congress to not fund catch shares
by Dan Bacher
On November 3, nineteen members of Congress from seven Eastern Seaboard states signed a letter urging Congress to not fund the Obama administration's catch shares program, an attempt to privatize ocean public trust resources.
Drafted by Walter Jones of North Carolina to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Appopriations Committe and the Commerce subcommittee, the letter asks that "language be included in the final FY 2012 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill to restrict the use of funds for development or approval of new "catch share" programs for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the New England, Mid Atlantic or South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils." (http://www.savingseafood.org/washington/19-members-of-congress-ask-appropriations-and-authorizing-committees-not-to-fund-new-catch-share-pro-3.html)
The signers represent districts in North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, New Hampshire, New York, and Connecticut. They noted that earlier this year the full House approved a similar amendment to the FY 2011 CJS appropriations bill by a wide margin of 259 to 159.
"The last thing the American government should be doing in these economic times is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to expand programs that will put even more Americans out of work," the letter stated. "But that's exactly what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is attempting to do by requesting $54 million in its FY 12 Budget to accelerate implementation of new fisheries catch share programs across the U.S."
The letter was signed by Walter B. Jones (NC), Barney Frank (MA), Jon Runyan (NJ), Frank Pallone (NJ), John F. Tierney (MA), lleana Ros-Lefftiinen (FL), Frank C. Guinta (NH), Timothy H. Bishop (NY), Sandy Adams (FL), Allen B. West (FL), Joe Courtney (CT), Mike Mclntyre (NC), John L. Mica (FL), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Peter T. King (NY), Bill Posey (FL), Christopher H. Smith (NJ), Thomas J. Rooney (FL) and William R. Keating (MA).
The catch shares program is a controversial system for managing commercial and recreational fisheries being promoted by NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, the former Vice-President of the Board of Environmental Defense Fund. This system is "causing consolidation in the fishing industry at the expense of the livelihoods of thousands of smaller-scale, traditional fishermen and their communities," according to a fact sheet from Food and Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy organization. (http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/GreenwashingOurFisheries.pdf)
"Such programs are being heavily touted as a means to promote sustainable fishing, but a closer look reveals they do not have a positive environmental record. Catch shares can incentivize the use of larger-scale boats, more damaging gear and wasteful fishing practices that hurt fish populations and the habitats on which they depend," the group explained.
The catch shares fiasco and other ocean privatization efforts are funded by big corporate money at a time when the corporate control of both the Democratic and Republican parties is being challenged by the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), a national grassroots recreational fishing organization, in August slammed the Walton Family Foundation's contribution of $36 million to ocean privatization efforts through “catch shares” programs and the creation of so-called “marine protected areas" - and called for a national boycott of Wal-Mart. (http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/08/19/wal-marting-the-oceans)
“The Walton family created this huge corporate entity that has threatened the vibrancy of our local retail outlets, and now they’re essentially doing the same thing with our fishing communities,” said Jim Donofrio, executive director of RFA.
In a August 16th news release from Wal-Mart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Walton Family Foundation announced “investments” totaling more than $71.8 million awarded to various environmental initiatives in 2010. The foundation handed over $36 million alone to Marine Conservation grantees including the Ocean Conservancy, Conservation International Foundation, Marine Stewardship Council, World Wildlife Fund and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
The five top grantees were: Conservation International, $18,640,917; the Nature Conservancy,$9,305,449; Environmental Defense Fund
$7,086,054; the Marine Stewardship Council, $4,500,000; and the Ocean Conservancy, $3,757,768.
by Dan Bacher
On November 3, nineteen members of Congress from seven Eastern Seaboard states signed a letter urging Congress to not fund the Obama administration's catch shares program, an attempt to privatize ocean public trust resources.
Drafted by Walter Jones of North Carolina to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Appopriations Committe and the Commerce subcommittee, the letter asks that "language be included in the final FY 2012 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill to restrict the use of funds for development or approval of new "catch share" programs for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the New England, Mid Atlantic or South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils." (http://www.savingseafood.org/washington/19-members-of-congress-ask-appropriations-and-authorizing-committees-not-to-fund-new-catch-share-pro-3.html)
The signers represent districts in North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, New Hampshire, New York, and Connecticut. They noted that earlier this year the full House approved a similar amendment to the FY 2011 CJS appropriations bill by a wide margin of 259 to 159.
"The last thing the American government should be doing in these economic times is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to expand programs that will put even more Americans out of work," the letter stated. "But that's exactly what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is attempting to do by requesting $54 million in its FY 12 Budget to accelerate implementation of new fisheries catch share programs across the U.S."
The letter was signed by Walter B. Jones (NC), Barney Frank (MA), Jon Runyan (NJ), Frank Pallone (NJ), John F. Tierney (MA), lleana Ros-Lefftiinen (FL), Frank C. Guinta (NH), Timothy H. Bishop (NY), Sandy Adams (FL), Allen B. West (FL), Joe Courtney (CT), Mike Mclntyre (NC), John L. Mica (FL), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Peter T. King (NY), Bill Posey (FL), Christopher H. Smith (NJ), Thomas J. Rooney (FL) and William R. Keating (MA).
The catch shares program is a controversial system for managing commercial and recreational fisheries being promoted by NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, the former Vice-President of the Board of Environmental Defense Fund. This system is "causing consolidation in the fishing industry at the expense of the livelihoods of thousands of smaller-scale, traditional fishermen and their communities," according to a fact sheet from Food and Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy organization. (http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/GreenwashingOurFisheries.pdf)
"Such programs are being heavily touted as a means to promote sustainable fishing, but a closer look reveals they do not have a positive environmental record. Catch shares can incentivize the use of larger-scale boats, more damaging gear and wasteful fishing practices that hurt fish populations and the habitats on which they depend," the group explained.
The catch shares fiasco and other ocean privatization efforts are funded by big corporate money at a time when the corporate control of both the Democratic and Republican parties is being challenged by the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), a national grassroots recreational fishing organization, in August slammed the Walton Family Foundation's contribution of $36 million to ocean privatization efforts through “catch shares” programs and the creation of so-called “marine protected areas" - and called for a national boycott of Wal-Mart. (http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/08/19/wal-marting-the-oceans)
“The Walton family created this huge corporate entity that has threatened the vibrancy of our local retail outlets, and now they’re essentially doing the same thing with our fishing communities,” said Jim Donofrio, executive director of RFA.
In a August 16th news release from Wal-Mart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Walton Family Foundation announced “investments” totaling more than $71.8 million awarded to various environmental initiatives in 2010. The foundation handed over $36 million alone to Marine Conservation grantees including the Ocean Conservancy, Conservation International Foundation, Marine Stewardship Council, World Wildlife Fund and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
The five top grantees were: Conservation International, $18,640,917; the Nature Conservancy,$9,305,449; Environmental Defense Fund
$7,086,054; the Marine Stewardship Council, $4,500,000; and the Ocean Conservancy, $3,757,768.
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