Sportfishing, Conservation Groups Suggest Oil Spill Spending Priorities for Administration and Congress

Thirteen groups signed letters today to both the Administration and Congressional Appropriators in response to the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  The letters present fishery management and economic-related recommendations for broadening the scope of and increasing the amount of funding in the spending package proposed on May 12 by President Obama.

The groups’ recommendations cover fishery management, including stock assessments, improvements to fishery data collection and monitoring, and cooperative research, so that fishery managers will have the most accurate and timely information to assess the impacts of the spill. The groups also recommend direct economic relief for recreational fishing businesses and other fishing-related businesses.

Sign-on letter participants:

• American Sportfishing Association
• Berkley Conservation Institute
• The Billfish Foundation
• Bonefish and Tarpon Trust
• Center for Coastal Conservation
• Coastal Conservation Association
• Environmental Defense Fund
• International Game Fish Association
• National Marine Manufacturers Association
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• The Ocean Conservancy
• Oceana
• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

EDF made a complementary request to Congress and the President earlier this week for at least $100 million to help fishing communities recover from the spill.

Never miss a post! Subscribe to EDFish via a email or a feed reader.