NOAA Crony Capitalism? Company Tied to NOAA Chief to Evaluate NOAA “Catch Share” Policy

Editor's note: This post was authored by Gwilym McGrew.

The story of abused east coast fisherman gets even more tangled.  

Gloucester Times reporter Richard Gaines points out “A $5 billion foundation that has spent tens of millions of dollars promoting the catch share commodification of New England's and other U.S. fisheries has chosen a firm with close ties to NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to evaluate the nation's newest catch share programs.”  “Jim Hutchinson, managing director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, described the Moore Foundation's choice of MRAG Americas to study catch shares as "Astro-Turfing at its best — the D.C. double dip where a firm with direct ties to a government agency is paid to do a study, which promotes a movement that creates more work and increases the firm's net income.”

See the Gloucester Times article here where Gaines details the never ending crony relationships that seem to define Jane Lubchenco’s Catch Share scheme.  Maybe it’s time to Occupy NOAA.