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Pew Statement on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Approval of the South Atlantic Short-Term Red Snapper Fishing Moratorium

December 3, 2009

Orlando, Fla. – Holly Binns, manager of the Pew Environment Group’s Campaign to End Overfishing in the Southeast, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary’s approval of a six-month moratorium on red snapper fishing in federal South Atlantic waters from North Carolina to Florida.

“Today’s decision symbolizes an important first step towards saving the severely overfished red snapper. The moratorium gives managers the needed time to put a long-term recovery plan in place to ensure a healthy ocean ecosystem and bountiful red snapper for future generations of fishermen and seafood lovers. A science-based recovery plan will ultimately result in far larger fishing catches than we have today.”

“We understand the hardships some will experience when fisheries close. Although some may face short-term economic losses now, the long-term cost of a collapsed red snapper population would be far greater.”

The Pew Environment Group is the conservation arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-governmental organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improving public policy, informing the public and stimulating civic life.

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