Evaluating the Report Card: What's Behind NOAA Fisheries Annual Status of the Stocks
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] By Peggy Parker - April 29, 2016
The just-released annual report about the status of the nation’s fish stocks gives Congress a sustainability report card on 546 species of commercial importance within the U.S.’s exclusive economic zone.
NOAA Fisheries’ intensely summarized report comes from thousands of management reports, stock assessments, fisheries management plans, and rebuilding initiatives and other programs used to manage the nation’s seafood resources. It gives lawmakers who determine budget levels for NOAA Fisheries a high-level assessment of how sustainably managed U.S. stocks are in the U.S.
The report’s best news is that for the most part, the principles of the Magnuson-Stevens Act which guide fish management, are being applied successfully. We know what constitutes a sustainably managed fishery. We know how to rebuild stocks that have been overfished...
To Read Full Story Login Below.