WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 20, 2011 – U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Ranking Member of the Senate subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, today discussed concerns over federal regulations affecting Maine’s tuna fishery with Portland fishermen. In a meeting with three members of the American Bluefin Tuna Association, Senator Snowe reiterated her concern over federal policies inhibiting the ability of tuna fishermen to maximize their catch.
“U.S. fishermen have led the world in efforts to conserve highly migratory fish stocks. No one disputes that the bluefin tuna is overfished, but it would be inappropriate and counter-productive for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to penalize our fishermen for their efforts to rebuild this resource by listing bluefin tuna as endangered,” said Snowe.
“We must allow science to dictate management measures, and in this case, the data is clear: the International Commission on Conservation of Atlantic Tunas [ICCAT] process will rebuild stocks if catch limits are enforced in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean as they are in the U.S. For far too long, the hard-working, responsible fishermen of Maine have borne the cost for other countries’ over-exploitation of this global species, and imposing further sanctions on our fishermen even when the science would dictate otherwise serves as a disincentive for other nations to agree to make similar sacrifices.”
Senator Snowe has been leading the effort to ensure that this species is managed effectively at the international level and not through the Endangered Species Act. In March, Senator Snowe sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, urging NOAA to continue to manage this species through the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and not list the species as endangered and subject to the Endangered Species Act. NOAA is expected to announce its determination in the next week. A copy of the letter is attached.
Read the letter Senator Snowe wrote to Dr. Lubchenco.