White House Proposes New Overfishing Rules (market based)

[Eugene]

White House Proposes New Overfishing Rules

By JOHN HEILPRIN
The Associated Press
Monday, September 19, 2005; 8:23 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration proposed new guidelines Monday
that it said would prevent overfishing, part of a plan for managing
the nation's marine resources.

Critics say they ignore important recommendations from a presidential
commission.

Tougher fines and penalties, more peer-reviewed science studies and
market-based decisions are other measures that will "help us toward
ending overfishing and rebuilding our fish stocks," said Jim
Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental
Quality.

<snip>

Steve Murawski, chief science adviser to the Commerce Department's
National Marine Fisheries Service, said the administration didn't
back the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's recommendation that a
group of scientists suggest the total number of allowable catches
each year because "it would have Balkanized the process."

<snip>

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901409.html

Scientists ignored. Recovery targets scrapped. Public input limited.
Business as usual at BushCo.

[dcfirefighter]

1. I'm confused...

as usual. But if i had my 'druthers, I'd
1) let a learned bunch of scientists recommend a catch size
2) auction licenses to portions of that catch size and
3) use those proceeds as part of the general revenue.