In October last year, The Nature Conservancy announced the launch of the organisation’s first Conservation Fishing Agreement. The Agreement between a central coast fisherman and the Conservancy is aimed at helping sustain fisheries, protect California’s marine resources and support fishing communities.
Building on the Conservancy’s 2006 purchase of seven federal groundfish trawl permits, which helped protect 6,000 square miles of seafloor off California’s central coast, the organisation has leased one of its seven permits to a Morro Bay fisherman, Ed Ewing. The lease is a voluntary, private agreement designed to test methods for making fishing more sustainable and economically viable, focusing on techniques to reduce bycatch and conserve habitat.
Under the Agreement, Mr Ewing is using selective flatfish trawl gear designed to reduce bycatch of other groundfish species. The Agreement includes geographic restrictions that ensure fishing is constrained to mud and sandy seafloor areas currently open to trawl fishing and prohibited from existing federal and state trawl closure areas, previously untrawled areas, or sensitive habitats in remaining open areas. The Nature Conservancy used the best available scientific information and local fishermen’s knowledge to identify the area to be protected. As a condition of the lease, The Conservancy - working with resource managers - will monitor and observe the program to adapt fishing operations and conservation actions to sustain marine resources and protect sensitive ocean habitats.
On the project's progress so far, World Fishing was told, "January and February were great months for the project, which is a positive indicator that economics and conservation can go hand in hand. It is an encouraging start for the future of Central Coast groundfish and the fishing communities that rely on them." The Conservation Fishing Agreement will be in effect for one year.
In addition, The Conservancy has partnered with fishermen, community leaders, conservation organisations and government entities to jointly propose to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) that six federal trawl permits purchased by The Conservancy be leased back to fishermen in an 'exempted fishing permit' demonstration project. This project will allow the partnership to establish a local, community-based fishing association that will test the benefits of fishing with more selective and less habitat impacting gear - traps and hook and line. In autumn 2007, the PFMC approved this request, clearing the way for this unique demonstration project in 2008. This spring, it is under review for approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
