Here is the email below that I sent to the point man on the Gulf Charterboat Exempted Fishing Permit - Steve Branstetter Steve.Branstetter@noaa.gov
The word needs to get out to all Gulf charterboat captains who fish for red snapper as to the consequences of how it will affect THEM if/when Sector Separation/Cooperatives/IFQs are implemented. According to Mike Jennings (Cowboy) and other pro-sector separation people, the effect will be the elimination of a substantial number of their competitors (YOU). One guy even referred to it as a Hostile Takeover - no joke. You need to be informed of how this will affect your charter for-hire industry BEFORE you lend your support to the concept, as it will undoubtedly result in a substantial reduction in the number of charter vessels here in the Gulf. Look for entrance requirements such as income qualifiers, those who can document that they "substantially" fished the fishery, etc.
The affect on the private recs will be just as devastating, if not more so, and remember that this is not just about red snapper - it will spread to every federally-managed species that swims out there in the Gulf.
Mr. Branstetter,
You are listed as the contact person on the NOAA site regarding the Gulf Charterboat Exempted Fishing Permit, and I have some questions as to how these EFPs will help determine if this is really the way we want to go with our future fisheries management.
As you know, the Alabama Charterboat EFP has essentially been cut-and-pasted from the Headboat EFP.
The Headboat EFP sliced off 286,457 pounds of red snapper from each of this year's and next year's recreational TAC for the 17 headboats participating in the program to harvest. That's an average of 16,850 pounds per boat, per year, correct?
I believe that the Gulf Council/NMFS is looking to give to the Alabama Charterboat Cooperative about 366,000 pounds of red snapper to be subtracted from our total recreational TAC to be harvested by the 90 charterboats in the cooperative. That's about 4,067 pounds per boat, correct?
If you consider that the Gulf-wide charterboat count is about 1,200 vessels, then how do you see this Sector Separation/Cooperative/IFQ scenario playing out relative to its impacts on the entire Gulf-wide charterboat fleet, assuming that the Gulf Council goes forward with Sector Separation and it's preferred alternative of allocating 47% of the recreational TAC to the "For-Hire Sector"?
Please provide a hypothetical scenario of what would happen, based on an 11 million pound TAC.
According to my calculations, 47% of the 49% rec allocation based on a total 11 million pound red snapper TAC results in 2,533,300 pounds for the "For-Hire Sector". 2,533,300 / 1200 vessels = 2,111 pounds per boat.
That's a MUCH smaller amount of fish than what the EFPs are being given - SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER.
How then, are these EFPs going to be able to provide any meaningful insight into the feasibility of Sector Separaton/Cooperatives/IFQs when the number of fish given to those EFP participants do not reflect the reality of what would happen if/when this program was implemented across the Gulf?
Is the solution to this dilemma to substantially consolidate the number of for-hire boats participating in the program?
If not, then how do you see this program working for the Gulf charterboat fleet that fish for red snapper? Please provide specifics on what each boat would be given based on a realistic, hypothetical scenario.
One thing I would recommend, if you are truly interested in seeing if these EFPs are a viable option, is to reduce the number of fish per vessel to be more in line with reality - these EFPs are not meant to be deceptive are they?
Thanks in advance,
Tom Hilton
The word needs to get out to all Gulf charterboat captains who fish for red snapper as to the consequences of how it will affect THEM if/when Sector Separation/Cooperatives/IFQs are implemented. According to Mike Jennings (Cowboy) and other pro-sector separation people, the effect will be the elimination of a substantial number of their competitors (YOU). One guy even referred to it as a Hostile Takeover - no joke. You need to be informed of how this will affect your charter for-hire industry BEFORE you lend your support to the concept, as it will undoubtedly result in a substantial reduction in the number of charter vessels here in the Gulf. Look for entrance requirements such as income qualifiers, those who can document that they "substantially" fished the fishery, etc.
The affect on the private recs will be just as devastating, if not more so, and remember that this is not just about red snapper - it will spread to every federally-managed species that swims out there in the Gulf.
Mr. Branstetter,
You are listed as the contact person on the NOAA site regarding the Gulf Charterboat Exempted Fishing Permit, and I have some questions as to how these EFPs will help determine if this is really the way we want to go with our future fisheries management.
As you know, the Alabama Charterboat EFP has essentially been cut-and-pasted from the Headboat EFP.
The Headboat EFP sliced off 286,457 pounds of red snapper from each of this year's and next year's recreational TAC for the 17 headboats participating in the program to harvest. That's an average of 16,850 pounds per boat, per year, correct?
I believe that the Gulf Council/NMFS is looking to give to the Alabama Charterboat Cooperative about 366,000 pounds of red snapper to be subtracted from our total recreational TAC to be harvested by the 90 charterboats in the cooperative. That's about 4,067 pounds per boat, correct?
If you consider that the Gulf-wide charterboat count is about 1,200 vessels, then how do you see this Sector Separation/Cooperative/IFQ scenario playing out relative to its impacts on the entire Gulf-wide charterboat fleet, assuming that the Gulf Council goes forward with Sector Separation and it's preferred alternative of allocating 47% of the recreational TAC to the "For-Hire Sector"?
Please provide a hypothetical scenario of what would happen, based on an 11 million pound TAC.
According to my calculations, 47% of the 49% rec allocation based on a total 11 million pound red snapper TAC results in 2,533,300 pounds for the "For-Hire Sector". 2,533,300 / 1200 vessels = 2,111 pounds per boat.
That's a MUCH smaller amount of fish than what the EFPs are being given - SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER.
How then, are these EFPs going to be able to provide any meaningful insight into the feasibility of Sector Separaton/Cooperatives/IFQs when the number of fish given to those EFP participants do not reflect the reality of what would happen if/when this program was implemented across the Gulf?
Is the solution to this dilemma to substantially consolidate the number of for-hire boats participating in the program?
If not, then how do you see this program working for the Gulf charterboat fleet that fish for red snapper? Please provide specifics on what each boat would be given based on a realistic, hypothetical scenario.
One thing I would recommend, if you are truly interested in seeing if these EFPs are a viable option, is to reduce the number of fish per vessel to be more in line with reality - these EFPs are not meant to be deceptive are they?
Thanks in advance,
Tom Hilton
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