Dear Sierra Club Chapters, Sections, Groups, Committees, and Members: The following proposed Sierra Club Policy is being forwarded to you for your information and comment. Please pass this proposed policy on to interested members in your community. The proposed policy is being circulated to as many Sierra Club (SC) entities as possible, through this e-mail to Club Conservation leaders; and where possible the information is being published in local newsletters. *The deadline for comments is June 17. Thank you for your interest and consideration of this policy. Please send comments to John Swengle by email or snail mail at the addresses shown in the following text by the deadline of June 17, 2002. John Swengle 287 Edwardo Ave Ft Myers, FL 33905 [log in to unmask] 941-693-3854 If you wish to attain more technical information about sustainable Fisheries please contact either John or Vivian Newman of the National Marine Wildlife and Habitat Committee ([log in to unmask]; 207-594-7534); or Paul Wilson of the Wild Planet Strategy Team ([log in to unmask], or 1-800-582-3421 [work]). *** BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL INFORMATION The Massachusetts Chapter adopted detailed fisheries management recommendations and policies in 1998, formed largely by the Cape Cod Group, in a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service to address depleted New England marine fish stocks. The collapse of the groundfish and scallop stocks in New England as a consequence of overfishing by the commercial industry has wreaked havoc on the biological diversity in our coastal oceans. It has created economic hardships for fishermen and their associated communities, and has caused public distrust in the ability of our governmental stewards, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), to carry out their responsibilities to protect our public trust biological resources in the ocean. It is not the intent of the Sierra Club to rehash who is responsible for getting us into our current predicament, but to encourage all parties (commercial and recreational fishermen, consumers, environmental groups, governmental regulators, and the general public) to move forward towards a policy to recover depleted fisheries stocks and develop a sustainable fishery management policy for the future in order to prevent a repeat of the current situation. State of the Industry We currently face a situation in which we have too many vessels chasing too few fish (overcapitalized industry). Current NMFS efforts to buy back vessels and NEFMC endeavors to reduce fishing mortality under amendment 7 to the New England multi species groundfish fishery management plan are welcome first steps. However, there is a need to move toward addressing issues of controlling open access, developing management measures to limit fishing effort, and to address allocation of living marine resources between the commercial and recreational fishing interests. The draft policy below was further developed by individuals on the National Marine Wildlife and Habitat Committee (an entity of the Wild Planet Strategy Team under the Conservation Governance Committee). The draft policy was circulated on various listserves maintained by the Marine Committee as well as to some coastal RCCs (Regional Conservation Committees) and Ecoregion Task Forces. On March 21, 2001, the Atlantic Coast Ecoregion Task Force (ACE) approved the draft policy, on March 25, 2001, the Gulf Coast RCC approved the draft policy, and on April 6, 2001, the Northeast RCC approved the draft policy. *** DRAFT POLICY ON SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES Fish are a vital ecological, economic, and food resource, but many species are in decline because of habitat loss, pollution, over fishing, and bycatch1. Fisheries management is hampered by incomplete knowledge of fish life cycles, complex ecosystem relationships, stock size, and natural population fluctuations. Current commercial and recreational fishery practices have changed the biological composition of marine ecosystems, both directly and indirectly. Long term ecological health and sustainability of aquatic biodiversity must take precedence over short term economic considerations. All parties, commercial and recreational fishers, consumers, environmental groups, governmental regulators, and the general public, must move towards a policy of recovering depleted fisheries stocks and developing a sustainable fishery management regime. The Sierra Club therefore urges the state and federal agencies responsible for fisheries management to: 1. Adopt the precautionary principle2 to protect the biodiversity and integrity of the coastal and ocean ecosystems; 2. Invest in coordinated and expanded research on habitat, fish mortality, climate change, threats posed by biotoxins, bacteria, and viruses, and development of less destructive fishing gear and techniques; 3. Designate and utilize reserves, time and area closures, and restrictions on fishing effort for protection of recruitment, breeding and nursery areas for fish; 4. Develop better coordination of fisheries management across jurisdictional boundaries; 5. Establish programs and policies that effectively reduce habitat degradation by physical disruption and land based pollution sources; 6. Eliminate government subsidies that support unsustainable fishing operations; 7. Provide financial aid only for retiring fishing vessels and gear, and for retraining displaced fishermen for new employment opportunities; 8. Provide greater opportunity for non-commercial fishing constituents, representatives of environmental and consumer groups, and private citizens interested in our public fisheries resources to participate in fishery commissions, councils, and advisory panels that recommend or set fisheries public policy. Definitions: 1. Bycatch - Bycatch is the indisciminate catching of fish and other marine life other than tose a fishing vessel intends to capture. This includes fish that are not the target species, sex, size, or quality. It also includes many other fish and marine life that have no economic value, but are ecologically important, such as starfish, sponges, and skates. Primarily, bycatch results from fishing practices and gear that are not selective. In addition to visible mortality, fish and other sea life are sometimes killed or injured when passing through or escaping fishing gear, and through ghost fishing from abandoned or lost gear. 2. Precautionary Principle - Precaution involves acting in advance to avoid or minimize negative impacts, which implies, in environmental management, that in the face of scientific uncertainity on cause and effects relationships accompanying the potential impacts that the benefit of the doubt is given to the conservation of natural resources and the maintenance of biodiversity. Erin Jordahl Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club 3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280 Des Moines, IA 50310 515-277-8868 [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]