The Pelagic Plague

NMFS’ split personality of cop-abettor is apparent in its West Coast mismanagement, as well. In 1999, after the annual by-catch of sea turtles around Hawaii reached 800 and finfish by-catch soared, a federal judge shut down longlining in a million square miles of ocean. But longlining there has been reinstated on the industry- and NMFS-promoted myth that the circle hooks now required make the gear safe for sea turtles.

In 2004, when it became clear that the Pacific leatherback faced imminent extinction at the hands of longliners, NMFS shut down areas seaward of federal waters (already closed to longlining). But last winter it backed an industry proposal, offered by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, to reopen the closed areas to California-based longliners clamoring to cash in on the still recovering swordfish population.

According to the council’s own data, this would subject 28 non-target species to by-catch mortality, including critically depleted Pacific bluefin tuna, striped marlin and shortfin mako, depleted big-eye tuna, possibly depleted yellowfin tuna and heavily fished albacore tuna, which may soon become depleted.

After irate public commentary, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted down the proposal on April 4, 2009.

Because bluefin tuna are flirting with commercial extinction, longliners have been unable to fill the U.S. ICCAT quota since 2003. Therefore, proclaims the industry, regulations need to be liberalized and size limits decreased so that ICCAT doesn’t give away the U.S. quota to some nation that fishes in a less environmentally friendly fashion, as if that were possible.

What industry barkers don’t get around to saying is that ICCAT has never given away an unused quota. Still, they sound like hyenas sparring over a kill. “It is crucial,” Ruais told the Commercial Fisheries News, “that there be an ‘interim suspension’ of major existing measures preventing U.S. fishermen from catching the bulk of our duly earned international quota, which is threatened by recent underperformance and the upcoming opportunistic attempts to ‘steal’ our share by a coalition of ICCAT member nations planning an agreement to do so.”

A ban on pelagic longlining in the Gulf would at least postpone commercial extinction and possible biological extinction of Atlantic bluefin tuna. But there’s only one way to prevent both— and that’s an endangered (Appendix 1) listing by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which would ban international trade. In September the European Commission—which oversees fisheries policy in the 27-nation European Union—voted to recommend Appendix 1 listing for Atlantic bluefin at the March CITES meeting. At this writing, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in charge of CITES issues, is soliciting public commentary on the proposal; and it’s pretty clear that the U.S. will vote with the European Commission.

Appendix 1 listing would not affect recreational angling (except to dramatically improve it). It would also improve domestic trade; and it would create far more opportunity for harpooners. But because you can’t hawk a dead bluefin outside Japan for $40,000, U.S. longliners and the commercial tuna industry are shrieking like Sabine virgins.

The marine conservation community is, of course, unanimously on board. But a significant percentage of anglers, distrustful of anything “federal” or “foreign” and easily manipulated by commercial interests, fantasize that an Appendix 1 listing is a foot in the door to a listing by NMFS under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which could ban recreational fishing. However, an Appendix 1 CITES listing is the best possible way to prevent a U.S. listing.

Much of the opposition among anglers is being fomented by the Recreational Fishing Alliance, which sees CITES (and most any regulating body, for that matter) as a malevolent entity plotting to somehow strip it of fishing rights. (I have read and reread RFA screeds on why an Appendix 1 listing for bluefin tuna would be a disaster, and I still can’t ascertain a single logical or even alleged reason.)