July 17, 2017
Washington, D.C. — The following statements were issued by Ocean Conservancy’s Chris Dorsett, and Earthjustice’s Andrea A. Treece, on the decision to sue the Department of Commerce for sanctioning overfishing of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.
A press conference will be held for interested reporters at 1:00pm CET / 2:00pm EST on Monday, July 17, to discuss the filing. Ocean Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund and Earthjustice will participate. To participate, please call (800) 895-1549 or (785) 424-1057 (Conference ID: RedSnapper).
Chris Dorsett, Vice President of Conservation Policy and Programs, Ocean Conservancy: “I have seen firsthand the impacts in the Gulf of Mexico of the drastic historic overfishing that has occurred in the red snapper fishery. Hard work and tough decisions have brought the red snapper fishery back from decades of overfishing—at its worst, the red snapper fishery was at just 3% of its historic levels. We’ve made great progress but we’re only about halfway through the rebuilding plan. You don’t stop taking antibiotics halfway through a prescription. You’ll just run the risk of getting sick again. Ocean Conservancy made the very difficult decision to sue because ultimately, this is not just about rebuilding red snapper. It’s about protecting America’s fisheries, which are the backbone of so many coastal communities and the heart of deep cultural traditions rooted in a love for fishing and our ocean.”
Andrea A. Treece, Staff Attorney, Oceans Program, Earthjustice: “The Department of Commerce is rolling back years of hard-won progress to rebuild a healthy red snapper population. Their decision to extend the federal recreational season violates the most basic, common sense requirements of federal law to prevent overfishing and to ensure long-term, healthy fisheries. You wouldn't tell a person who's almost out of bankruptcy to go on a spending spree. It's equally
irresponsible—and illegal—for the department to ignore the very conservation measures that are bringing red snapper back. This lawsuit aims to get red snapper management back on track for the sake of fish and everyone who enjoys them. Earthjustice will make sure that this reckless approach to managing our nation's valuable ocean resources does not happen again, in the Gulf or anywhere else.”