Highly Migratory Species Report

They are at it again! The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) on May 24, 2010 filed a petition with the NOAA to list Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as Threatened or Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. CBD was also a petitioner in the group that sought a ban on the use of lead in fishing tackle and hunting ammo.

NMFS announces their 90 day finding for a petition to list Atlantic bluefin tuna as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act and to designate critical habitat concurrently with a listing. “NMFS found that the petition presents substantial scientific information indicating the petitioned action may be warranted. They will conduct a status review of Atlantic bluefin tuna to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the review is comprehensive, they solicit information pertaining to this species from any interested party”.

NMFS finding is the first step in a prescribed process for responding to every petition filed with NOAA Fisheries to list a species under the ESA. Their final report is due by May 24, 2011.

Last November at the annual ICCAT meeting their members had to vote on whether to accept a CITIES listing for Bluefin Tuna. A huge majority of their members voted to reject such a CITIES listing.

I will have additional coverage in future JCAA newsletter publications.

As I see it, listing Bluefin tuna would be a total waste of the US Bluefin tuna allocation. There has never been ANY conservation measurers imposed by the Europeans or African nations for the last 34 years of ICCAT’s existence. A unilateral US ESA listing equals ZERO conservation since everyone knows that Bluefin are an ocean crossing species.

But to “designate critical habitat concurrently with a listing” would as I understand an ESA listing close the waters where Bluefin usually are found to all types of fishing.

Would this mean the total closure of offshore and Canyon water to all types of HMS fishing? This would be the effect of a US ESA listing as I understand the process.

You must make a comment against this listing or accept absurd new regulations being imposed that have zero to do with bluefin conservation. Note that the Center for Biological Diversity has been a frequent petitioner in many actions. This is just another petition so CBD will still get major money from conservation organizations.

If you do not write or e-mail your objections immediately, then do not complain when the conservation wackos win and you lose your fishery.