(Washington, DC, August 15, 2006) — After attending the Caribbean Fisheries Management meetings on St. Croix mid-week, Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen said that the goal should be to achieve healthy and sustainable fisheries without bankrupting fishermen.  The Delegate said that she was working to bring the Governor and the National Park Service together to move the slip inside of the monument on St. John to give fishermen more area from which to fish. 

“My main points were that we should be fixing the boundaries and the new closures should be revisited.  The Virgin Islands and their fishermen have already given the 30% needed for closure.” She said that the Virgin Islands was bearing an unfair burden for measures that are not scientifically supported and that the combination of national and local conservation efforts have marginalized Virgin Islands fishermen.