National Marine Fisheries Service
Sued Over West Coast Groundfish Catchshare Program

Two west coast fishing and fish processing companies, Pacific Choice LLC and Sea Princess LLC, filed suit earlier this month in Federal Court in Eureka, California, alleging mismanagement of groundfish stocks by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

The suit alleges that groundfish quotas in particular and stock management in general have failed to produce the economic benefits that are the proposed goal of the present management strategies. The petitioners allege that current rules related to Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)ownership run counter to established rules governing corporations and property ownership.

Specifically, petitioners allege that the portions of the groundfish Fishery Management Plan that require an entity controlling more than 2.7% of the fishery’s total quota to divest the excess quota are illegal. Petitioners also allege that the current rules are ineffective in protecting stocks, and are damaging the commercial future of fishing enterprises beyond repair, reducing the viable groundfish fleet in the Northern California/Southern Oregon region to two companies and a handful of boats over the last decade. The suit asks the District Court to vacate current NMFS rules and oblige the agency to reformulate groundfish management on the west coast Pacific in the hope of getting rid of the divestiture provisions, or the entire IFQ program.