(Saving Seafood) On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is poised to take final action on the Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2).
April 21, 2015 — The culmination of over a decade of planning, scientific analysis, and stakeholder engagement, the OHA2 represents the end result of an exponential increase in our understanding of the seabed and ocean habitats since the implementation of the first OHA. OHA2 has the potential to update the vast network of habitat area closures off the coast of New England to the benefit of ecosystems and industry alike. However, should the Council pursue final actions that unnecessarily restrict fishing access for regional fishermen, the results could cause serious economic hardship for hard-working communities without providing any additional environmental benefits.
This week, the NEFMC will vote on its preferred course of action, and then send these recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for final approval. These proposals cover a wide range of options and potential closures developed by the Council with input from environmental groups, the industry, and other stakeholders. The Council has an opportunity to adopt alternatives that will preserve the unique and most essential fish habitats while still allowing fishermen access to the region’s most productive fishing grounds. These alternatives are based on the most up-to-date scientific information on the closed areas, and provide significant improvements over the current slate of closures. However, this deliberative process has not been without controversy, or without misinformation campaigns from special interest groups.
Saving Seafood has covered the OHA2 process extensively and combated misinformation when it has arisen. Saving Seafood’s coverage has included detailed examinations of the science behind the habitat closures, as well as times when that information has been misrepresented and distorted. With the process set to conclude this week, Saving Seafood reminds our readers of our prior attention to this issue. You can learn more about these important events by reading our past coverage, included below.
For an extensive look at the Northern Edge of Georges Bank, one of the most important and hotly debated of the closed areas, view our story: “Habitat debate intensifies ahead of Council vote; Many ask, ‘Do closures even work?‘”
For an examination of how relevant fisheries law and fisheries science has been subjected to high-profile misrepresentations during the OHA2 process, view our story: “Conservation Law Foundation twists law, science in latest attach on Omnibus Habitat Amendment.”
For an analysis of what the most current science concludes about the Georges Bank closed areas, as well as how that science has been interpreted (and sometimes misinterpreted) in the media, view our story: “Analysis: Conservation Law Foundation Misleads Public on Habitat Closed Area Changes.”