The Recreational Fishing Alliance was set to speak out against proposed catch shares in the recreational sector at 10 a.m. today during a special Earth Day hearing sponsored by the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
Catch shares mean that individual fishing groups are allocated a percentage of total allowable catch. The RFA views this proposed program as a way of privatizing the nation's fisheries under the guise of a new fisheries management tool.
"We do not want any discussion on any program that compromises traditional open access of seasons, size limits, and bag limits," said Jim Donofrio, RFA executive director. "Our individual members and our closest allies in the recreational sector have all said the same thing: no way, no how."
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