A recreational fishing advocacy group called the Coastal Conservation Association has filed suit against NOAA fisheries seeking to stop their plan to implement individual fishing quotas in the Gulf of Mexico grouper fishery. The individual fishing quotas are expected to begin in the commercial grouper and tilefish fisheries beginning January 1st. The individual quota system would replace annual quotas and trip limits which federal regulators say leads commercial fishermen to harvest as many fish as they can early in the season leading to early annual closures. The current system also forces fishermen to work under unsafe conditions, such as poor weather and long hours and the general result is a market glut of fish during the early part of the year when there is heavy fishing and no fish later in the year after a closure. The Coastal Conservation Association argues that the individual quota system is unfair to recreational fishermen because it gives away a majority share of Gulf grouper to the commercial fishing industry. They believe the plan maximizes benefits to the commercial fishing industry while ignoring the participation and beneficial economic impacts of recreational fishing. CCA filed their suit Monday in Fort Myers, Florida.
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