Despite mounting opinion and evidence that they really do no good, NOAA is proceeding with plans for more “Protected Marine Areas”, this time around eight at a whack in the Southeast Atlantic.

FB08-036

“The primary purpose of implementing these MPAs is to
protect a portion of the population and habitat of long-lived,
deep-water snapper grouper species (speckled hind, snowy
grouper, warsaw grouper, yellowedge grouper, misty
grouper, golden tilefish, and blueline tilefish) from directed
fishing pressure to achieve a more natural sex ratio, age, and
size structure, while minimizing adverse social and economic
effects.”

Can somone explain to us how shutting down more and more productive areas of the bottom helps to “minimize adverse social and economic effects”?

Anyone else feeling a twinge of concern over sending the NMF your position 24/7 while you are out fishing? We wonder how they will determine what the next areas that need closing in order to protect our target species will be.

“The use of shark bottom longline gear would also be
prohibited within the MPAs.”

When NOAA and NMFS set up an MPA in the northern Gulf of Mexico a while back, they apparently forgot about this detail and it was, since the “intent” of that particular MPA was to protect the population and habitat of gag grouper, left open to fishing for HMS. The guys on the research boat that regularly plies the waters of that MPA had a fit and tried to convince any shark boat that ventured close to their private preserve to get out right away.

Seems that, despite the fact that shark gear is STILL not going to catch the majority of the species being “protected” in these MPAs, the scientists have once again gotten their way. Despite the fact that they are very much imposing economic hardship on fishermen, the power of our government to prevent us from making a living will continue to grow and expand like a tumor.