Setting the record straight about the Pew Environment Group | Columnists | Summerville Journal Scene

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Setting the record straight about the Pew Environment Group

Published Thursday, July 29, 2010 1:58 PM

By Holly Binns
Summerville Journal Scene ®

photos provided

Holly Binns

The Recreational Fishing Alliance South Carolina chairman asked in a letter published last month: “What’s been unduly influencing our marine fishery managers?”

The answer is fishery managers are guided by stewardship, science and the law, not undue influence by the Pew Environment Group, which the author asserts.

The criticism of Pew follows a June decision by federal fishery managers to suspend red snapper fishing from North Carolina to Florida’s east coast until the imperiled fish show signs of recovery. The plan also suspends fishing for some other species in an ocean area off Florida and Georgia because red snapper are often caught accidentally. Even if thrown back, too few survive.

Red snapper have plummeted to 3 percent of a healthy population level -- a fact that is not a “Pew campaign line” as the author suggests, but documented through peer-reviewed research by some of the nation’s best fishery scientists.

While some fishermen say there are more red snapper now, the rise is due to recent short-lived and unusual bursts in reproduction. But if killed at current fishing rates, these young fish will not breed enough to boost future generations. Older ones are the best spawners and although red snapper can live up to 54 years, too few are older than 10 because they are frequently caught before reaching their best reproductive years.

The author also asserts that fishery managers rushed the recovery plan without adequately considering fishermen’s views. This is not true. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which governs fishing policies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, worked on the plan for nearly two years to thoroughly examine available data and hear from fishermen and others.

Last November, nearly 1,000 people -- mostly fishermen -- attended numerous council-sponsored public hearings, including one in South Carolina. And for the last two years, as the plan developed and was finalized, the public had many opportunities to testify. The council and its science advisors reviewed information presented by some in the fishing community.

To address fishermen’s concerns, however, the council is expediting an updated study that will include more data from fishermen and address other concerns. The study will be completed in December, allowing time to modify the red snapper plan to reflect the findings.

Far from a rush to judgment, the council’s 9-4 vote to approve its plan responds to more than 40 years of unsustainable red snapper fishing. So many species nationwide have not been adequately managed that Congress in 2006 strengthened the nation’s fishing law that requires fishery councils to more swiftly end overfishing.

Pew supports the red snapper recovery plan because we want a healthy ocean ecosystem and robust fish populations capable of providing food, jobs and recreation for years to come. Pew works closely with fishing groups and many of our fishery staffers are anglers drawn to this work by their interest in the sport.

We are not alone in endorsing the red snapper plan. More than 30,000 people who signed a petition were in favor, as were fishermen who publicly supported it. Support from the public and conservation organizations comes when leaders recognize the problem and urge action. It is not, as the author alleges, bought with grants.

Pew was founded by the four children of Sun Oil Co. founder Joseph N. Pew and his wife, who established seven family trusts in 1948 to contribute to society’s well-being and strengthen communities. We invite everyone to view the Pew Environment Group’s website, www.pewtrusts.org, which shows our work has included improving vehicle fuel-efficiency standards, reducing fossil fuel dependence, stopping global climate change and shielding vital marine areas from drilling. This record should make clear our positions on these issues are not those of the oil industry.

Pew’s work is driven by its desire to protect the environment through science-based solutions. We participate openly in the policymaking process, and we believe the public deserves smart and sustainable resource management, which is our only agenda.

Holly Binns is based in Tallahassee, Fla. and is manager of the Pew Environment Group’s Campaign to End Overfishing in the Southeast.

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