The Problem

Our marine resources have traditionally been terribly mis-managed for decades, and as a result numbers of certain fish species are in decline, while others have thrived to a point of being virtually out of control. 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act makes provisions for the restoration of depleted fisheries, specifically requiring the creation of essential fish habitat.  Despite very specific legislation, government officials have continually delayed or denied efforts to enhance artificial reef programs.  Public efforts to create essential fish habitat at no expense to the government have been continually buried in red tape or flat rejected without good cause.

The problem has been further complicated by researchers providing flawed and outdated data and government bureacrats that blindly use the bad data to make the wrong decisions in an untimely manner.

For example:  NMFS researchers used innacurate survey methods to create data supporting a hypothesis that Red Snapper stocks were critically depleted.  This data was collected in 2004.  In 2008, NMFS used this information to drastically shorten the recreational season and reduce the total allowable catch limits of Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.  As a result, the Northern Gulf Coast is experiencing a "swarm" of Red Snapper on nearly every piece of habitat, which is having a negative impact on other species.

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