Comment from John Public

NOAA IS TRYING TO DO ITS BEST UNDER A DIFFICULT SITUATION CREATED BY AGENDA-DRIVEN EGREGIOUS ENGO’S IN FORCING FISHERY MANAGEMENT DECISIONS BY LEGAL THREATS AND LAWSUITS. IF THE ENGO’S WOULD REDIRECT ALL THE FUNDING THEY SPENT IN LAWSUITS AND THEIR SILLY LITTLE CAMPAIGNS, THEN FISHERIES COULD BE BETTER MANAGED WITH BETTER DATA. IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC, UNDER MSA, FISHING QUOTAS (ACL’S) HAVE BEEN SET BASED ON SCIENCE. WE SHOULD BE PLEASED THAT WESTERN PACIFIC FISH STOCKS ARE NOT TERRIBLY IMPACTED BY TOO MUCH FISHING. THE CURRENT STATE (AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2012) OF BIGEYE TUNA AND PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA IS ‘SUBJECT TO OVERFISHING’ AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITES LIE WITH INTERNATIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS – NOT SOLEY NOAA. THE ONLY ‘OVERFISHED’ STOCK IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC IS THE SEAMOUNT GROUNDFISH COMPLEX (HANCOCK SEAMOUNT) AND THAT STOCK WAS OVERFISHED BY FOREIGN FISHIGN FLEETS PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF THE MSA. NOAA REPRESENTS ALL STAKEHOLDSERS (PERHAPS NOT EVENLY) –– AS IF EVERY FISH IN OUR SEAS BELONG TO 325 MILLION PEOPLE - EVEN IN THE FACE OF HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTLISTS. NOAA TRIES ITS BEST TO REPRESENT THOSE WHO DO NOT FISH AND IS ONLY ABLE TO EAT FISH WHEN THEY PURCHASE IT IN A LOCAL SEAFOOD MARKET. I REALLY WISH NOAA COULD IGNORE THE ENGO’S. THE FISH IN OUR EEZ DON’T BELONG ONLY TO THE EXTREMELY WEALTHY ENGO’S AND OTHER GREEDY ENVIRONMENTAL PROFITEERS! THE QUOTA OF FISH (ACL’S) CAUGHT IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS DOES NOT NEED TO BE BASED ON THE WILD ASS GUESS OF SOME ANTI-FISHING ENVIRONMENTALIST LIVING IN A LANDLOCKED AREA OF THE US MAINLAND. WHAT MATTERS HERE IS GETING NOAA TO MAKE SURE THE WESTERN PACIFIC DOESN’T TURN INTO ANOTHER GULF OF MAINE. INDUSTRIAL FISHING DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS - THEY DO NOT NEED A REDUCTION IN THEIR FISHING FLEET. THEY DO NEED, HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO FURTHER MONITOR THEIR ACTIVE FISHERIES. THIS COMMENT IS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD - BY AN INFORMED PERSON.