Rationalizing Pacific cod fishery : UN ALASKA, AK (kucb) - This week, Congress passed legislation that would rationalize the Pacific cod fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutians Islands.
The "Longline Catcher Processor Subsector Single Fishery Cooperative Act" will create a Bering Sea cooperative for freezer longline fleet. The legislation will result in a slower season for the fleet, and it has been endorsed by industry groups such as the Freezer Longline Coalition.
The companies currently operating in the fleet unanimously support the move. Minimal consolidation of the fleet is expected to occur because of the size of the fishery and the process through which it operates. The Fishing Company of Alaska had registered concerns about the cooperative system previous, but the company has since left the fishery.
Because of the high support for this system, the has already been participating in a voluntary cooperative. This legislation would just cement that, says Kenny Down, president of the Freezer Longline Conservation Cooperative.
"The danger with a voluntary coop is that it's just that. It's a voluntary coop, and you don't have the government support," says Down. "The great thing about this bill is that it allows a regulatory framework. It's insurance that this group that's managed to form a voluntary coop for one short season is guaranteed that we're quite likely to be in a cooperative for perpetuity."
The bill passed by originated in the Senate, where it was passed by unanimous consent. Alaska Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski co-sponsored the bill, along with Washington Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. President Barack Obama must now sign the bill into law. The cooperative is expected to be formalized within the next two years. © Copyright 2010, kucb
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