Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2003
CONTACT: Ted Venker 1-800-201-3474

CCA Vows Fight Against Efforts to Open EEZ

Houston, TX – At a recent national board meeting, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) adopted a position stating that until the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) can demonstrate that opening the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to any kind of striped bass fishing will not disrupt management of striped bass in any state, it is precluded from doing so. Any effort to open the EEZ will face the dubious legal task of reconciling a maze of federal and state management plans, and CCA maintains that this maze has no exit.

“Opening the EEZ simply cannot be accomplished without a detrimental impact on the resource and all of the state measures protecting that resource,” said CCA Government Relations Committee Chairman Fred Miller. “The meshing of federal and state conservation regimes is very complicated. We are prepared to go to the attorneys general of every state that has a striped bass management plan and have them testify that those plans cannot be negatively affected by the opening of the EEZ.”

During a similar attempt to open the EEZ in 1995, CCA argued that under the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act, NMFS could not open the EEZ unless it could determine that such action would not disrupt management of striped bass by the states. NMFS ultimately agreed with CCA’s position and the EEZ remained closed. Since the legal requirements of the Act have not changed, CCA is confident that it will remain closed despite an ASMFC vote earlier this year.

Additionally, CCA has requested that NMFS initiate an environmental impact study (EIS) before any final decision is made on the EEZ issue. Such a study is required by the National Environmental Policy Act for major federal actions that could significantly affect the quality of the natural and human environment. The study will not only evaluate the possible environmental and economic impacts that opening the EEZ would have on the striped bass fishery, it will also take into account the legal and political ramifications of the proposed action

"There is a dearth of information regarding the effects of opening the EEZ to striped bass fishing, and NMFS clearly has insufficient data to open the EEZ fishery under current Federal law," said Charles Witek, vice chairman of CCA's Government Relations Committee. "We believe the study will show that it is impossible to fashion a rule that will let them open the EEZ and not interfere with state management of striped bass."

During the EIS process, the general public as well as federal, state and local agencies will have the opportunity to give comments on the proposal to open the EEZ at a series of public hearings designed to better define the issues.