Urge Congress To Fund Catch-Share Programs To Reduce The Effects Of Overfishing

Urge Congress To Fund Catch-Share Programs To Reduce The Effects Of Overfishing

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Our oceans are in trouble. Today more than 50 federal fish stocks are overfished or undergoing overfishing.<br /><br />Scientists can only say for sure that about 25% of U.S. fisheries are sustainable. As a result, thousands of fishing jobs have been lost as fishing communities vanish.<br /><br />But today we have the chance of a lifetime to restore abundant life to the oceans. Congress is faced with a choice -- to continue down the same failed path of overfishing or to end it, once and for all, with a proven scientific solution called "catch shares."<br /><br />These programs are a top priority for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which needs Congressional support to end overfishing.<br /><br />Catch shares restore fish populations by setting a science-based limit on catch and holding fishermen accountable for counting everything they catch. At the same time, they provide fishermen enhanced flexibility to decide when and how to fish, resulting in increased profits and more stable, and better-paid, jobs.<br /><br />Some opponents are seizing on the tight fiscal environment to defeat catch shares. But the truth is that funding for catch shares is best investment Congress can make for ensuring fishermen and fisheries recover, rebuild, and renew.<br /><br />We need your help right now to deliver this message to Congress.<br /><br />Please take action today: <a href="https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&amp;page=UserAction&amp;id=1663">Email to your member of Congress urging him or her to take a stand for good science, healthy oceans, and vibrant fisheries by supporting NOAA's National Catch Share Program.<br /><br /></a>Source: Environmental Defense Fund

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