Gulf Seafood Institute Walks Capitol Hill Corridors For Gulf Fisheries

GSI’s “Walk Team” with Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. (Left-Right) Bob Gill, Margaret Henderson, Jim Gossen, Harlon Pearce, Johnny Greene and David Krebs.  Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor

Trading white boots for wing tips, members of the Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) walked the halls of Capitol Hill knocking on legislative doors spreading the message of the importance of conserving the Gulf of Mexico, and the seafood millions of American depend upon on a daily basis.

It is the Institute’s inaugural year of “Walking the Hill”, meeting with Congressmen and their staffs, educating them on positions important to the Gulf and its various communities.

“Although this is our first year of walking under the GSI banner, a majority of our members have all been here before, many times,” said GSI chairman Harlon Pearce who has is no strange to pounding the hallways of Congress. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

“Although this is our first year of walking under the GSI banner, a majority of our members have all been here before, many times,” said GSI chairman Harlon Pearce who has is no stranger to the Congressional halls. “Some of our group’s members have been walking with other seafood organizations for more than 20-years.  We are all well known in a majority of the offices we visit.”

This year, the organization that  represents conservation efforts and fisheries in both the recreational and commercial sectors, will be meeting with more than 20 congressional offices over three days.   In addition, meetings are scheduled with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Fish and Wildlife and Foundation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

“There is important legislation coming down the pike,” said GSI board member Chris Nelson, another “Walk” veteran. “We have the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act, “Restore Act” funding, H2B immigrant worker legislation, as well as “Rigs to Reef” fishery habitat legislation.

According to Nelson, who has been walking for more than 20-years and leads the Gulf Oyster Industry Council’s (GOIC) walk efforts,  the face-to-face meetings with Congressmen and staff reinforces yearlong legislative efforts.

“We had very productive meeting with the staffs of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Mississippi Senators Wicker and Cochran, as well as with NOAA,” said Florida GSI board member David Krebs.

GSI Leading Way in Unification

In a meeting with GSI and GOIC, Anthony Chatwin, Ph.D,(right) explains issues important to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, while Michael Sharp of the Foundation listens. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

The Seafood Institute has been leading the way in uniting the various Gulf groups, and giving them a voice they have never had before.

In a prepared packet hand delivered to each office, the Institute has outline its position on three important issues:

1. Magnuson Stevens Re-Authorization
2. Red Snapper Management
3. H2B Migrant Worker Legislation

“GSI has worked long and hard in its effort to be actively involved in Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization,” said Bob Gill, another GSI board member. “Two weeks ago we were here in D.C. testifying before the House Committee on Natural Resources, on their proposed revision of the bill.” As a Floridian, it was especially meaningful meeting with Senator Rubio’s staff,” he said. “We received very positive feedback on our position on electronic logbooks for the charter boat sector in the Gulf, as well as on the  equitable reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.”

Addressing Gulf Issues

In its “White Paper on Magnuson Stevens Re-authorization”, GSI is stress eight importing area that Congress must address in drafting new legislation.

GSI board members meeting with legislative aids Brandon Elsner and Ellen Beares from Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

1. Flexibility in Rebuilding Timelines – The current MSA requirement for rebuilding overfished fisheries within ten years, with certain exceptions, is an arbitrary time frame and totally unrelated to biological needs. Similarly, the requirement to end overfishing immediately considers no other factors.
2. Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) – Congress should also consider requiring fishery managers to incorporate actual “take,” both retained and discarded, when setting ACLs.
3. Role of Science and Statistical Committees (SSCs) – Councils should be able to react swiftly to emergent issues by calling SSC and other Council meetings in a timelier manner. The current process is overly long and needs better integration with the demands of NEPA requirements to achieve a balance in time, public access, and reasonable deliberation.
4. Catch Share Programs – Impacts of the referendum process on pilot programs must be addressed, and clarification about what level of participation is required for eligibility in referendums must be provided.
   

   According to GSI Board Member Bob Gill (right), “As a Floridian, it was especially meaningful meeting with Senator Rubio’s staff member Benjamin Bradley.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

5. Data Collection –Electronic monitoring is an important part of the data collection process and programs that encourage its use should absolutely be supported wherever possible.
6. Asset Forfeiture Fund for Data Collection – Many fish stocks in the Gulf are considered to be data-poor and any additional funding to increase science in those areas is needed.
7. Balance on the Regional Fishery Management Councils – The Council membership and appointment process must be modified to ensure fair and equitable representation from both the commercial and recreational communities as well as consumers.
8. Red Snapper Management –Management of the commercial red snapper fishery, which has been run as an IFQ fishery since 2007, is working and to throw that program into turmoil would be detrimental to communities and to consumers who might lose access to the resource.

“According to GSI board member Johnny Greene, captain of the Orange Beach, AL recreational vessel Intimidator,  “Some other questions that Congress should consider before moving forward with Red Snapper allocation include questions of state enforcement capabilities, state scientific data collection capabilities, state funding ability, and the enforcement of interstate boundaries at sea.”

“Despite the usual procedural challenges, the Council management process works as intended and to throw one fishery into a state-run model might set a misguided precedent that threatens to undermine the great successes MSA has had overall,” he said.

In an hour long meeting with NOAA, new fisheries administrator Eileen Sobeck called for greater collaboration between Gulf agencies.  Sorbeck explains NOAA’s mission as Brad Robin (right), or Robin Seafood, and Brandt Lafrance, of Brandt’s Oysters, listen. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

In addition to it’s three main issues, members of GSI plan to have informal discussions on the need for legislation similar to “Rig to Reef”, that recycles unused natural gas and oil platforms in the Gulf as reefs vitally need for fish habitation.

“Recycling unused iron in the Gulf is vital to both recreational and commercial fisherman,” said Jim Gossen, chairman of Houston’s Sysco Louisiana Seafoods, and a GSI board member.  “We are seeing a drastic reduction in the number of rigs in the Gulf, and with that the habitat that is sea life has become dependent upon.”

In an hour long meeting with new NOAA Fisheries Administrator Eileen Sobeck, as well Mark Schaefer,Ph.D, Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management, and Michael Rubino, Ph.D.,  NOAA’s Director of Aquaculture, the agency called for greater collaboration between agencies on issues facing Gulf fisheries.

“The meetings today went far beyond our expectations,” said Harlon Pearce, relaxing with his feet up at in the lobby of the Hotel George.  “It proves that GSI is rapidly becoming a respected voice for the Gulf that is willing to partner in moving issues affecting fisheries forward.”

Trading white boots for wing tips, members of the Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) strolled the halls of Capitol Hill knocking on legislative doors. Board members (l-r) David Krebs, Bob Gill, Harlon Pearce, Jim Gossen and Johnny Greene. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom

Tags: Featured, Gulf Oyster Industry Council, H2B Migrant Worker Legislation, Magnuson Stevens Re-Authorization Red Snapper, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NOAA fisheries, Red Snapper Management, Sysco Louisiana Seafoods, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership