During last week I spent 19 hours in a conference room. Here are three things I found interesting. A fourth warrants its own post, which I'll unveil later this week (as the excitement continues to build).
1. High gas prices are expected to lead to less commercial and recreational fishing effort in 2008. Less effort should lead to higher fish stocks.
2. Fisheries policy as trade policy (Spiny Lobster Committee Meeting Overview):
Alternative 2 - No person in the U.S. would be allowed to import a spiny lobster (Panulirus argus):
1. Less than 5 ounces tail weight (5 ounces is defined as a tail that weighs 4.2 – 5.4 ounces).
2. 3.0 inches (7.62 cm) or less carapace length if the animal is whole.
3. Less than 5.5 inches (13.97 cm) tail length if only the tail is present.
I'm not sure what to think about this. It is similar to slapping tariffs and quotas on polluting exporting firms, of which I'm always opposed (free trade and all that). But these are just little crustaceans ...
3. Shut down red snapper in the south Atlantic? From the Red Snapper Scoping Document:
Given the need to reduce total fishing mortality (landings and discards) by at least 87% (from F=0.841 to F=0 .109), the Council is considering the following measures to end overfishing and rebuild red snapper:
A. Emergency/interim rule – prohibit all harvest and possession of red snapper. If the Council approved this request at the June 2008 meeting, the estimated effective date would be around January 1, 2009.
Yikes.
