LANDMARK STUDY SHOWS CLEAR PATHWAY TO RESTORING IMPERILED FISH
POPULATIONS  

Report Shows Bycatch Reduced by Nearly Half; Per-Boat Revenues Increased
by 80 Percent;
Safety Doubled in Fisheries with Catch Share Systems

(March 28, 2007, Washington, DC)  -- Environmental Defense today
released the results of a landmark study that provides a clear roadmap
for rebuilding fishing stocks and restoring fishing communities.
Entitled "Sustaining America's Fisheries and Fishing Communities," this
research details how Limited Access Privilege Programs (LAPPs), or
"catch shares," save fishing stocks and help restore fishing communities
by offering clear environmental, economic and social benefits.  The
report also describes a tool to help design effective systems.

A team of over 30 scientists, economists, fishery specialists and other
experts collected data on nearly 100 fisheries and analyzed over 150
peer-reviewed studies.  Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,
this is largest such study since the U.S. Congress lifted the moratorium
on catch shares five years ago.  

"Catch shares are the missing piece in the puzzle to restore our
fisheries and fishing communities," said Fred Krupp, President of
Environmental Defense. "For the first time, this comprehensive study
provides the hard data that shows how catch shares can improve the
performance of fisheries at lower cost to fishermen and greater benefit
to the overall ecosystem."

"This comprehensive analysis shows that LAPPs can be a pivotal tool in
preserving fishing stocks," said Barry Gold, the Marine Conservation
Initiative Lead at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.  "When
designed with local objectives in mind, these systems not only help
create sustainable fishing practices, they can also help restore fishing
communities."  

Environmental, Economic and Social Benefits

Catch shares work by allocating a dedicated percentage share of a
fishery's total catch to individual fishermen, communities or
associations. If a fishery is well managed, the value of these shares
increases as the stock expands. When participants have a secure portion
of the catch, they gain the flexibility to make business decisions that
improve safety, increase profits and promote healthy fishing stocks.

An in-depth analysis of ten fisheries in the U.S. and Canada before and
after the implementation of catch shares showed:  

.       Bycatch was reduced by more than 40%, which, together with the
benefits of complying with catch limits, each year saves the equivalent
of the annual seafood consumption of 16 million Americans.

.       Revenues per boat increased by 80% due to higher yields per boat
and higher dockside prices.

.       Safety more than doubled, based on an index of vessels lost,
lives lost, search and rescue missions and recorded safety violations.

"The biggest thing catch shares do is end the race for fish," said David
Krebs, a Gulf red snapper fisherman.  "We used to go out in dangerous
conditions, regardless of the cost of fuel or what price we'd get for
our fish.  Now our jobs are safer and we can deliver a higher quality
product."

"The combination of catch limits, protected areas and controls on
bycatch provide a foundation for healthy fisheries," said David Festa,
Oceans Program Director at Environmental Defense. "Catch shares multiply
the benefits of these practices and create powerful incentives for
improvements in fisheries throughout the country."  

The Problem

An estimated 90% of large predatory fish are gone from our world's
oceans.  Of 230 assessed U.S. fisheries, 54 stocks are classified as
over-fished, 45 stocks are experiencing overfishing and just over half
of the nation's stocks are in uncertain status.

"Fisheries have continued to decline despite decades of trying to manage
these resources," said Steve Gaines, Director of the Marine Science
Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  "As these
data show, this doesn't have to be the reality."  

America's fishing communities are also suffering.  The collapse of the
iconic cod fishery in New England in the early 1990s cost an estimated
20,000 jobs. An estimated 72,000 jobs have been lost due to decreasing
salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest.  The typical fisherman now makes
nearly 30% less than the average American worker and faces an
occupational fatality rate that is 35 times higher than other
industries.

"This report clearly shows that catch share programs help end the
dangerous race for fish and contribute to a vibrant, safe future for our
coastal communities," said Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA).  "These
findings confirm actual experiences with successful catch share programs
in the North Pacific.  These programs have increased the value of
fisheries while contributing to conservation."

The Future

President Bush recently set a practical goal of doubling U.S. catch
share programs by 2010.  Congress also promoted these systems and
established guidelines for their use as part of the reauthorized
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which passed
Congress unanimously in December 2006.  This new report provides the
hard data to properly evaluate and design these systems.

"Faced with reduced landings and fragile waterfront economies,
California's fishing families and their communities are going through
profound change," said Congresswoman Lois Capps, a member of the House
Natural Resources Committee.  "To preserve the economy and heritage of
special places like Morro Bay, we should give fishermen tools that
enhance their economic vitality, advance sustainable fishing practices
and protect fish populations for future generations."  

"The task at hand today is prompt and well designed implementation of
catch shares," said Krupp.  "We call on both President Bush and Congress
to prioritize funding over the next five years for these innovative
approaches to rebuild our fisheries and fishing communities."  
To download a copy of the report and learn more about catch shares,
please visit www.sustainingfisheries.com.  

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Contributing Partners

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Environmental Defense; Redstone
Strategy Group.