Letter to Mr. Chris Moore, Executive Director of the Mid-Alantic Fishery Management Council and Mr. Robert E. Beal, Executive Director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission - Connecticut Fishermen Secure Increase In Black Sea Bass Quota Following Support From Connecticut Congressional Delegation

Letter

Dear Mr. Moore and Mr. Beal:
In advance of the February ASMFC meeting, we write to request strong support for two potential
methodologies which would provide urgently needed fairness to Connecticut fishermen with
respect to commercial black sea bass harvest allocations.
As we expressed to you in the letter we sent on this topic in December, the black sea bass
population in the Southern New England region has increased significantly for several decades
due to changes in ocean temperatures. Unfortunately, Connecticut's quota has not been updated
to reflect the northward expansion of black sea bass and remains at only 1% of the entire
coastwide quota -- a quota which has not been changed in almost 18 years. It is unconscionable
that Connecticut fishermen still have a quota five times smaller than the state with the next
smallest allocation (Delaware) given the unprecedented abundance of sea bass off our coast.
To this end, we again request that the ASMFC and MAFMC increase Connecticut's black sea
bass allocation to 5 percent of the coastwide quota. We firmly believe that increasing
Connecticut's quota to 5 percent, equal to the allocation assigned to the next lowest state,
remains the fairest approach taking into account the growth of the sea bass population in the
Northeast in comparison to the more stable numbers in southern regions.
We do understand that these conversations have been difficult, and are aware of opposition to
this proposal from a number of states. While we continue to believe that an immediate 5 percent
allocation to Connecticut is the most equitable path forward, we also understand that there is
another option being discussed that we feel is worth considering should the 5 percent allocation
not receive the votes necessary to move forward. This is a "trigger" approach, in which the
trigger would be set at either 3.0 or 3.5 million pounds, per tradition, with any given year's quota
above the trigger being used first to increase Connecticut's quota to 5 percent and New York's to
9 percent, and then for the remaining quota to be allocated proportionally among the states. This
approach would achieve a number of admirable objectives -- Connecticut's concerns would be
dealt with fairly, northern states would benefit from the expanding population of black sea bass
in their waters, and southern regions would have their historic allocation protected and would
continue to benefit from the overall growth of the sea bass population. In order for this approach
to be equitable it is essential that the trigger to be set at 3.5 million pounds or less as this amount
is reflective of historical quota allocations. Implemented thusly, this bifurcated approach would
provide fairness to our fishermen, and we believe should be seriously considered if the ASMFC
and MAFMC cannot reach a consensus on giving Connecticut 5 percent of the quota outright.
We appreciate your consideration of this fundamentally important issue to our region. Should
you need supporting documentation or information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,