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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 1
September 2006
Sept. 27 deadline for comments on proposed Area 2 trap transfer ‘tax’
CRYSTAL CITY, VA – Area 2 lobstermen now have a chance to comment on how much of a “conservation tax” they should pay as part of the trap transfer program being implemented under Addendum VII to the interstate lobster plan.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) American Lobster Management Board adopted Addendum VII back in November of 2005 to cap the number of traps fished in Area 2 at “recent levels.” Area 2 member-states are currently implementing the addendum, which limits participation to recently active permit holders and allocates them “permit-holder-specific” trap limits based on “reported” traps fished, as well as landings.
The addendum also contains a trap transfer program so that qualifying lobstermen can make economic decisions to build up or scale back their operations within the maximum allowable limit of 800 traps.
Transfer hitch
The hitch is that all trap transfers are supposed to be “taxed” so that a “passive” trap reduction occurs each time traps are traded from one permit holder to another.
Many fishermen have assumed the tax would be 10% because early discussions of Addendum VII floated that percentage. Under a 10% tax, if a permit holder transfers 100 traps, the recipient gets 90 traps and 10 traps are permanently retired.
However, the 10% figure didn’t make it into the final version of Addendum VII. Neither did any other percentage tax. So ASMFC is developing yet another addendum to set things straight.
Trap tax addendum
During its Aug. 14 meeting in Crystal City, the lobster board supported putting five different conservation tax options into this new addendum – Addendum IX. The options are: 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%.
The deadline for public comments is Sept. 27. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island were considering holding public hearings on the issue, but none were confirmed at press time in late August, and some states may choose only to ask for written comments.
The ASMFC lobster board expects to make a final decision on the tax rate at its annual meeting, which begins on Oct. 22 in Atlantic Beach, NC.
For more information or to submit comments, contact ASMFC lobster plan coordinator Toni Kerns by phone at (202) 289-6400 or e-mail her at <tkerns@asmfc.org>. Comments may be faxed to (202) 289-6051.
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