USA: NOAA asking USD 54 million for the implementation of "catch shares"

I copy here under an extract from the written statement of JANE LUBCHENCO, Ph.D. Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator when presenting the NOAA 2011 budget request before the US Senate Committee on Commerce at a hearing on 3 March 2010.

"NOAA recently released a draft catch share policy to encourage the consideration and adoption of catch shares wherever appropriate in fishery management and ecosystem plans and amendments, and will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of catch share programs. Catch share programs give fishermen a stake in the benefits of well-managed fisheries, and therefore greater incentive to ensure effective management. To support NOAA’s policy, this budget includes an increase of $36.6 million, for a total request of $54 million, to establish a National Catch Share Program. This program will provide a national framework to develop, manage, and improve catch share programs in fisheries across the Nation. This increase will also continue the transition of the Northeast ground fish (multispecies) fishery to sector management as well as support new voluntary catch share programs in the Mid-Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Coast regions."

Here is the link to Ms Lubchenco full statement:

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord_id=258a8c85-c278-4ce6-899e-fdb43f6de665&Statement_id=b62b84e4-1ebf-4d96-9a03-dd15ef17749b&ContentType_id=14f995b9-dfa5-407a-9d35-56cc7152a7ed&Group_id=b06c39af-e033-4cba-9221-de668ca1978a&MonthDisplay=3&YearDisplay=2010