The National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) new 2008 annual report on the "individual fishing quota" (IFQ) program for Gulf of Mexico commercially-caught red snapper shows continued success for the fishery two years into the program, and provides additional support for implementing IFQs to rebuild other troubled fisheries.
"The old system made no sense – vessels depended on racing to fill our catch limit, no matter the effect on fish we accidentally caught and wasted, or the empty plates of fish-lovers during the long closed seasons," said David Krebs, commercial fisherman and owner of Ariel Seafoods, Inc. in Destin, Florida.
"Finally, fishermen have a chance to be real stewards of the resource and much better opportunities to run a productive business and provide a high-quality product to consumers year-round," Krebs said.