APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
NMFS has suggested, through a draft management plan 
for the gulf, a quota system as an initial step toward manag- 
ing gulf menhaden. 
If the system were implemented for the 1976 fishing 
season, the quota established would be based on the current 
estimated MSY of 1,093,481,600 pounds plus an increment 
based on statistical confidence limits around this point 
estimate. Using an 80-percent confidence level, an upper 
MSY limit of 1,179,461,000 pounds is established as the 
tentative harvestable quota for the 1976 fishing season. 
For this system to be effective everyone in the industrv 
would have to comply. If one company breaks the control 
barrier, there could be a problem of sticking to the manage- 
ment plan. 
NMFS thinks that there should be some enforcement 
authority for the catch and effort quota and that the com- 
panies should have only limited authority to adjust the catch 
quota. 
An industry representative agreed that the time to 
protect the fishery is when it is healthy, and that some 
Mangement planning and regulation would probably be needed. 
He cautioned, however, that the Government should not have 
the exclusive regulatory authority. In his opinion manage- 
ment should be a closely coordinated effort of all parties 
concerned--Federal, State and industry. 
OBSTACLES INHIBITING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 
Resource availability--Atlantic 
The menhaden resource in the Atlantic has been fully 
exploited, in the opinion of NMFS, and population will not 
sustain the past levels of fishing effort because the re- 
source is limited as follows: 
--The Atlantic menhaden resource is being fully ex- 
ploited throughout its range and strong evidence is 
available to show that landings in recent years 
cannot be maintained. 
--The Atlantic resource is not being utilized to pro- 
vide the most pounds from the population that is 
present, as evidenced by the abundance of young 
fish in catches. 
--The trend in abundance of young menhaden throughout 
their range has been downward for the past several 
years. 
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