Bruce Babbitt (Source: DOI) and Slade Gorton III (Source: US Senate)
On September 12 and 13, EDF had the pleasure of working with an unlikely but dynamic team of spokespeople. Former Secretary Bruce Babbitt, former Senator Slade Gorton III and Gulf Red Snapper Fisherman Buddy Guindon, met in Washington DC to share their support for catch share management systems with members of the press and the hill. Their message—Catch shares work, the world’s fisheries are in trouble and both democrats and republicans have a responsibility to protect fish stocks and fishermen moving forward.
Gorton and Babbitt, who admit they have not always agreed on issues in the past, have come together on fisheries management because they see catch shares as the way forward for sustainable and profitable fisheries. They believe that a lot of the opposition around catch shares stems from a lack of understanding and education.
In an interview with E & E reporter Laura Petersen, who wrote an excellent piece on this media tour, Gorton commented, “Maybe 30 or 40 members of the House of Representatives out of 435 have any knowledge of the issue at all, so it’s easy, in a sense, to stampede them with sloganeering.”
Babbitt agreed and added, “Fear of change is nothing new in resource management. The political culture is very resistant to change, and that is why education is so critical to assuage concerns and consolidate support.”
Watch an interview from this tour from E&E TV with Bruce and Slade.