Political allies joined recreational anglers in the fight against catch share regulations and looming fishery closures, as four Gulf Coast governors signed a letter directed at Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke concerned about “the direction and rapidity in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is moving to implement catch shares programs for fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.”

The four governors include Governor Rick Perry, of Texas; Governor Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana; Governor Haley Barbour, of Mississippi; and Governor Bob Riley, of Alabama.

In the letter, the governors’ sentiments are obvious. They quickly recognize the economic importance of recreational fishing—to the tune of $24 billion in the Gulf States—and they want assurance that NOAA will not extend catch share policies to the recreational fishing sector. An excerpt from the letter:

“We have already seen negative impacts from the Gulf red snapper catch share system and are concerned about negative impact from the pending program for Gulf grouper. Creating an exclusive harvesting right for a small group of commercial fishermen inherently marginalizes other users [recreational anglers] who do not have the same access privileges.

“Access and opportunity are the lifeblood of recreational fishing. Catch shares limit accessibility for those who do not have an opportunity to participate. While this does not create a problem when the resource is targeted exclusively by one segment, such as commercial fishers, it squeezes out other users when applied to a mixed-use fishery. We would like to be able to give assurances to our constituents that NOAA will not attempt to extend catch shares policies to the recreational fishing sector.”

Read the complete letter to Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke below:

Charlie Crist did not sign this letter but sent his own letter challenging the planned closure of Atlantic red snapper. Read it below: