Comment from Britton Shackelford

The North Carolina Watermen United is opposed to the implementation of catch shares for the Atlantic shark fishery. NMFS is still using the same science (MRFSS survey and others) that continue to shut down or limit fisheries that are healthy and in great shape. The science is flawed and NMFS has admitted that it is just starting to fix the problem. We are against catch shares, ACLS and AMS that restrict fishery catches any more thatn what we already face.Our Fishery Councils - SAFMC, MAFMC - are not management councils any more, but Closure Councils - black bass, snowy grouper, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, golden tilefish, red snapper, vermillion snapper - to name a few. If the Councils can't mange them, then they have begun a policy of closing or limiting the fisheries. Meanwhile the charter/headboat, commercial and recreational fisheries - and the support industries - go "belly up." We support and promote good research and accurate data collection so that informed decisions can be made aabout the health of stock assessments for all fisheries at the local, state and national levels. Our intent is to Fix the Sciennce so the Councils can manage them effectively.