Number: 1985-06
WHEREAS, increasing use of gillnets by individuals not identified or licensed as commercial fishermen, yet who sell their catch, has resulted in fishery management problems such as decreased ability for managers to accurately monitor catch, allocate available fish among user groups, prevent overharvest, and enforce fishing regulations, and, in addition, sale of fish so caught has depressed market values of some fish to the economic detriment of legitimate commercial fishermen; and
WHEREAS, in addition to commercially valuable finfish, other species of fish, including recreationally valuable species, birds, and marine mammals often become entangled in gillnets resulting in the death or injury of significant numbers of non-target species; and
WHEREAS, release of fish and wildlife alive or uninjured which have become entangled in gillnets is almost impossible unless nets are closely monitored; and
WHEREAS, lost or abandoned gillnets pose hazards to navigation, entangle other fishing gear, and continue to “ghost fish” and thus destroy unknown numbers of valuable fish and wildlife for an indefinite period;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 14-17, 1985, in Arlington, Virginia, recommends that the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Regional Fishery Management Councils established under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and State fishery management agencies ensure that all fishermen using gillnets be authorized or licensed for use of such gear by the fishery regulatory agency having authority for the fishermen’s target fishery, and that such authorization or license be issued only to individuals or boat captains also licensed as commercial fishermen; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all set gillnets be marked with the license number of the owners, be buoyed so that their location may be determined readily by other users of the fishery resource and boaters, be tended while in use, between the period from one-half hour after sunrise until one-half hour before sunset; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that commercial fishing licenses be renewable yearly at a significant dollar value and that penalties be levied against individuals who 1) fish with unmarked gillnets, 2) fail to attend marked gillnets during the specified period, 3) sell fish taken in gillnets by fishermen not authorized or licensed to fish gillnets, or 4) knowingly purchase fish taken by unlicensed or unauthorized fishermen.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution applies only to marine and estuarine waters.