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A long sought victory has been won for the Highly Migratory Species fishery. The victory was a direct result of the efforts of Senator Olympia Snowe, said Rich Ruais, of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Association.
In her conference room in Washington, D.C., Senator Snowe organized a bipartisan congressional effort to get leading capitol hill lawmakers to sign a letter to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Director Jane Lubchenco. The 3-page letter outlined the importance of immediately stopping the loss of U.S. quota to the nations actively seeking to take it. The letter was signed by 15 congressmen including Olympia Snowe, Ted Kennedy and Barney Frank. Ruais said the signing was preceded by three and a half months of fishermen working hard to save the quota they had already worked so hard to get years before. “Senator Snowe led the charge for us. It would not have happened without Olympia Snowe in Congress,” said Ruais. “The letter is an indication that we are watching. It also says to Lubchenco that the U.S. quota should not be given away,” said Ruais. The quota would not in fact be “given” away, it would be taken by a coalition of nations out to get the U.S. quota. The state department has not assigned adequate resources and experienced staff to protect the quota. To not protect it said Ruais would erase all the hard work, and suffering of fishermen, to get quota. It could be taken by Taiwan, which Ruais described as “the poster child for unsustainable overfishing.” Recognition of the threat to U.S quota is not new. However, a letter outlining the problem, signed by influential congressional lawmakers, and sent to the NOAA administrator is a milestone in fishermen’s long fought uphill battle to preserve HMS quota. |
