Here is a letter I wrote on October 28 to NMFS HMS Chief Margo Schulze-Haugen on an in-season quota transfer to the General category to keep the fishery open for the balance of the year:
Margo:
October 28, 2015
I am very pleased to write this letter knowing that the General category is fast approaching its base quota and, most certainly, in need of an in-season transfer to keep the fishery open. We are aware that the Agency provided the PLL and the Harpoon category with quota from Reserve earlier this year and there remains about 147 tons available in the Reserve.
We would hope that there is no interruption in the General category fishery given the amount of quota remaining for the U.S., the increasing frequency of bad weather and noting that the Harpoon category will not catch most of the 40 tons NMFS provided this past July. It also seems that catches or interactions with BFT in the PLL category are unusually low and this may be the result of implementation of measures in Amendment 7.
In any case, it is quite clear that it would be very conservative and economically beneficial to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic fishing industry to provide adequate quota for the General category to continue for the balance of the year and wherever the fish may migrate, with the exception of the Gulf of Mexico. Providing this in-season transfer will also fulfill the Agency’s mandate to provide a “reasonable opportunity” for all U.S. fishermen to catch the U.S. share of the ICCAT Western Atlantic bluefin quota.
Thanks very much to you and your staff for the professionalism you continue to demonstrate in managing our complex highly migratory fisheries.
Sincerely,
Rich Ruais, Executive Director
American Bluefin Tuna Association
ABTA Board of Directors
Rich Ruais 