Fishy Culprits Threaten Our Oceans

The document claims that companies manufacturing boat motors and fishing gear, such as Yamaha and Shimano, use trade associations like the American Sportfishing Association to lobby against sustainable fisheries regulations. It highlights the Magnuson-Stevens Act as a critical science-based management tool and cites the 2017 extension of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishing season as an example of political interference that risks overfishing and delays fishery recovery.

• The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), established in 1976, utilizes science-based evidence to set catch limits and has contributed to the recovery of 44 depleted fisheries in the United States.
• Trade associations, specifically the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), are accused of representing the short-term profit interests of gear manufacturers—including Yamaha, Shimano, and Costa Del Mar—rather than the interests of fishers.
• In September 2017, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross extended the recreational fishing season for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper by 39 additional days beyond the recommended three days, allegedly due to influence from special interests.
• Scientists estimate that the 2017 extension of the red snapper fishing season will lead to overfishing and could delay the recovery of that fishery by as much as six years.

APA

Jones, S. (2018). Fishy Culprits Threaten Our Oceans. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/fishy-culprits-threaten-our-oceans/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. Fishy Culprits Threaten Our Oceans. Mighty Earth, 2018. https://mightyearth.org/article/fishy-culprits-threaten-our-oceans/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=Fishy Culprits Threaten Our Oceans |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=12 April 2018 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/fishy-culprits-threaten-our-oceans/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2018fishy, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{Fishy Culprits Threaten Our Oceans}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/fishy-culprits-threaten-our-oceans/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }