April 2, 2013 — The Government Accountability Office has agreed to study the accuracy of fishing counts in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic to help resolve a long-standing dispute between environmentalists and the fishing industry.
Congress' investigative arm has decided to act on a request from a bipartisan group of senators and will review how the federal government calculates fishing stocks in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
"The first thing we do for any job is to determine the scope and methodology," said Charles Young, a spokesman for the Government Accountability Office. "Until that is determined, we won't have a projected completion date."
Fishing stocks, which are used to determine catch limits, have long been a source of contention between the fishing industry and environmental groups.
Environmental advocates say over-fishing of such species as red snapper and gag grouper could affect marine habitats and coastal communities for decades.
Read the full story at USA Today