The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced their selection a grant for $2.25 million for Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) Founding Member CLS America to administer a program for approximately 350 federally-permitted charter boat vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: CLS America
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced their selection for Electronic Monitoring and Reporting grants that included $2.25 million for Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) Founding Member CLS America to administer a program for approximately 350 federally-permitted charter boat vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.
“This is a historic game changer,” said GSI Board President Harlon Pearce. “With this grant, we are taking accountability of the recreational fishermen to the next level and at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the Gulf’s fishing resources for generations to come.” Photo: Louisiana Seafood News
The landmark project will engage the fishing industry, federal and state managers, and scientists from across the region in order to generate real-time, verifiable, and high-quality recreational fishing data, especially for Gulf red snapper.
“This is a historic game changer,” said GSI Board President Harlon Pearce. “With this grant, we are taking accountability of the recreational fishermen to the next level and at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the Gulf’s fishing resources for generations to come.”
The grants overseen by NFWF are a result of appropriations legislation passed in December of 2014 by Congress providing NOAA $2 million in funding for the project. NFWF contributed an additional $2 million in matching funds for monitoring projects for fisheries in Alaska, New England and the Pacific Coast.
“I am thrilled to hear that the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the Gulf Seafood Institute and CLS America are angling to support better, cheaper fisheries management with these investments in electronic monitoring and reporting,” Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski told Gulf Seafood News. Photo: Mikulski for Congress
“I am thrilled to hear that the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the Gulf Seafood Institute and CLS America are angling to support better, cheaper fisheries management with these investments in electronic monitoring and reporting,” Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski told Gulf Seafood News.
“Electronic monitoring and reporting will lower costs without sacrificing accountability. This investment is good for everyone: it supports the fishermen at the docks, it helps the buyers at the market, and it protects the vulnerable fish populations that we’ve worked so hard to restore. I’m proud that GSI and CLS America are playing a crucial role in ensuring that fish and fishing families will thrive for years to come.”
Groundbreaking Achievement
A number of Gulf groups competed to become administrators for the project. The proposal submitted by the Gulf Seafood Institute and Lanham, MD based CLS America had the endorsement of the Gulf’s Charter Fisherman’s Association (CFA) and the Destin, Florida Charter Boat Association, many of whom have already volunteered to participate in the project.
“This is an important step in accountability for the recreational fisherman,” said Galveston charter fisherman Shane Cantrell, the Executive Director of the Charter Fishermen’s Association. “We are proud to have been a supporter of the GSI/CLS America proposal.” Photo: Galveston Sea Ventures
“This is an important step in accountability for the recreational fisherman,” said Galveston charter fisherman Shane Cantrell, the Executive Director of the Charter Fishermen’s Association. “Instead of the piecemeal ideas floated in the past, this is a real solution for a very real problem. We are proud to have been a supporter of the GSI/CLS America proposal.”
Captain Capt. Gary Jarvis of the Destin Charter Boat Association feels the recent funding for the self-reporting data collection system is the result of a strong working relationships between GSI, the organized charter-for-hire sector fleets and NMFS.
“GSI as a organization has worked tirelessly to help the charter-for-hire sector develop and test a electronic log book system that is near real time, accurate, verifiable and affordable to the average charter for hire businessman,” said the captain of the Back Down 2. “The success of this totally funded pilot program will be instrumental in moving the data collection system for the charter for hire sector into the 21st century as it develops its own fisheries management plan to sustainably fish the allocation set aside for the non-boat owning public.”
The engagement of various industries within the proposed research is a critical component of the project. Transitioning from a research project to a fully operational system will require engagement of the industry and the end users including the National Marine Fisheries Services’ fisheries managers, scientists and enforcement agents.
The Southeast Regional Office of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will work with GSI in establishing a data plan that will include data quality control and assurance, validation and management for the project. The project is designed to transition into a fully operational program integrated into the NMFS Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP).
“GSI as a organization has worked tirelessly to help the charter-for-hire sector develop and test a electronic log book system that is near real time, accurate, verifiable and affordable to the average charter for hire businessman,” said Captain Capt. Gary Jarvis of the Back Down 2. Photo: Back Down 2
“CLS America is proud to work with industry and agency partners in order to have an immediate impact on the collection of validated, real-time data in the Gulf of Mexico. This project will have a positive, long-term impact on the charter industry and the management of fisheries resources and the ecosystem as a whole,” said Michael Kelly, Vice President of Sustainable Marine Resources at CLS America.
For GSI Florida Board Member Bob Gill who was involved in the drafting the proposal, this is a gigantic step forward for both the charter for hire industry and the private recreational sector. “This program brings the latest technology to bear on understanding the true impact on the resource. It should reduce the uncertainty in total recreational catch estimates and permit better science resulting in better management for all participants.”
According to GSI Executive Director Margaret Henderson, the organization has been instrumental in shepherding this project through the federal process from the beginning. “We initially approached Congress about obtaining federal funds for the program in early 2014 and worked closely with the office of Alabama Senator Richard Shelby and others to see the initial $2 million in electronic data collection funds set aside in the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations package,” she said.
Support in Gulf and on the Hill
“The federal government’s failure to properly oversee red snapper stocks has a harmful impact on fishermen and our economy, which is why it is critical to use new technology that can improve the management of the fishery,” Senator Shelby told Gulf Seafood News. Photo: U.S. Congress
Throughout the process, GSI worked hand-in-hand with charter captains from across the Gulf, NOAA, NFWF and others to ensure the program was crafted in a way that is workable for charter captains and can efficiently capture much-needed data on the health of several critical Gulf fisheries.
“The federal government’s failure to properly oversee red snapper stocks has a harmful impact on fishermen and our economy, which is why it is critical to use new technology that can improve the management of the fishery,” Senator Shelby told Gulf Seafood News. “This important grant provision that I included in the fiscal year 2015 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Bill will allow real-time electronic reporting of red snapper for charter boats in the Gulf for the first time.”
The GSI-led proposal also had the support of Congresswoman Martha Roby of Alabama. In a letter of support to NFWF she said, “The GSI and CLS America proposal has strong support from charter operators in my district and across the Gulf. It has long been a priority for all of these groups to improve upon current data collection activities in a way that can bring additional accountably to the entire Gulf recreational fishing community.”
According to Margaret Henderson, GSI will be integrally involved in the rollout and facilitation of this program. “We look forward to seeing this program take off and be adopted by the charter community Gulf-wide in a way that brings the health of the red snapper and other fisheries into clear focus for the benefit of fishermen, the resource and consumers.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
“This is really great news and I believe will go a long way in addressing the red snapper issue,” said GSI Florida Board Member Dr. Bill Hogarth. “This will result in increased credibility and confidence in the data and the subsequent science advice used to manage fisheries. As a former Assistant Administrator of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, I am eager to see this technology move forward in the Gulf of Mexico. I am confident that this project will lead to better fisheries management for red snapper and other reef fish.”
Pearce sees this as the first step that will change the future of fisheries. “It is important for the future of all U.S. fisheries that this program does not fail. Both GSI and CLS America are committed to make sure it succeeds,” he said. “We are breaking new ground and changing the way fisheries will be managed in the future.”
Where do potential scientists, technicians and other contractors go for opportunities to participate in this program. I am an experienced scientist in Electronic Monitoring of GOM reef fish and my company would like to participate.
Thank You.
Daniel Roberts