If you follow the goings-on of the U.S. Congress, you know that the final months of the year have become a sprint to the finish line marked by bursts of legislative energy and must-pass bills. This year is even more energetic than most. Read More
EDFish
Selected tag(s): Magnuson Stevens Act
Something ‘fishy’ is happening in Congress
Posted in Mid-Atlantic, New England, Pacific, Policy Also tagged Alaska fisheries, Alaskan Crab, Bering Sea, Bering Sea crab fisheries, Build Back Better, Climate change, Coastal Communities, Congress, Conservation, Domestic, House Committee on Natural Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Oceans, oceans technology, Rep. Don Young, Rep. Ed Case, Rep. Jared Huffman, snow crab, sustainability, sustainable fisheries, United States fisheries Comments are closed
The Silver Anniversary of Sustainable Fisheries
Unsustainable fishing remains among the planet’s most serious and elusive environmental challenges. When it comes to the ocean, scientists agree that while reducing and mitigating climate risks is the biggest long-term threat, getting fishing intensity right is the biggest near-term need. Read More
Posted in Belize, Cuba, Europe, Global Fisheries, International, Policy Also tagged Belize, China, Cuba, Domestic, fish stocks, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, global fisheries, Japan Comments are closed
Science-based management in U.S. fisheries: Progress and the road ahead
In August, I had the honor of being the co-organizer of a symposium at the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting titled “Ten Years of Science-Based management in U.S. Fisheries: Progress and the Road Ahead” with my colleague Jake Kritzer. A distinguished group of eight speakers joined us to present papers on topics ranging from the evolution of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to the benefits that science-based management has yielded for Alaskan fisheries, and discuss how the Act has performed and how to tackle the challenges that remain with fisheries scientists and managers from across the country and globe.
Speakers included scientists, managers, and a commercial fisherman and covered a geographic range from Florida to Alaska. Some of the speakers approached the subject with experience that extended back to well into the previous versions of the Act.
The consensus could be best summed up by one a point made by Dr. Mike Sissenwine, a council member of New England Fishery Management Council, early in his presentation: Science-based management has worked.
Overall, the group concluded that the current incarnation of the Magnuson-Stevens Act has greatly improved conservation outcomes. Since the reauthorization, overfishing has decreased dramatically and a significant number of stocks have been rebuilt.
Our commercial fishing participant, Jason de la Cruz from Florida, noted that the current Act made him feel more confident about the basis of decisions and had led to increased opportunities to collaborate on science. In Alaska, Diana Evans, deputy director for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, highlighted that fishermen and managers now look beyond the difficult task of setting annual catch limits to new management challenges like ecosystem-based fishery management that can be informed by innovative scientific tools being created for their Fishery Ecosystem Plan. Read More
There’s nothing modern about overfishing
A recently-filed bill with the upbeat title “The Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act,” H.R. 2023, would unfortunately do just the opposite. By gutting one of the most important improvements of modern fisheries law, we believe that this bill would move us backwards to a time of widespread overfishing. Read More
Posted in Policy Also tagged Domestic, fisheries law, fisheries policy, MSA, sustainable fisheries Comments are closed
Congress Shouldn’t Destabilize Our Fisheries
Next week, the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 1335, a bill to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Fisheries issues often avoid the partisanship that otherwise rules (some would say cripples) Washington, but the Natural Resources Committee voted out H.R. 1335 strictly on party lines, and we expect the same outcome next week. That’s a shame, not only because of the breakdown of bipartisanship, but also because this is a bad bill.
Many have written about how much U.S. fisheries management has improved over the last several years. A recent report from NOAA Fisheries confirms that overfishing numbers hit all-time low in 2014, and that 37 species around the country have rebuilt since 2000. EDF is proud to have worked side-by-side with the fishing industry as these gains have been made – not only because they’re delivering a healthier marine environment but also because they’re supporting more profitable fishing businesses and more prosperous coastal communities. Unfortunately, H.R. 1335 would jeopardize this progress. It would also put unnecessary restrictions on the decisions of the regional fishery management councils, long the bedrock of fishery management in the United States and a means for local fishermen and others to participate directly in the rulemaking process. Read More
Posted in Policy Also tagged Congress, Domestic, fisheries law, fisheries policy, MSA Comments are closed
Brookings Institution hosts discussion on future of U.S. fisheries
Photo credit: Hamilton Project
The fishing industry contributes about $90 billion annually to the U.S. economy, which translates to over one and a half million jobs for American workers.
Sustainably managed fisheries have a higher economic value to fishing dependent communities, than those under unsustainable management. Understanding this fact is of paramount importance to ensuring a sustainable and thriving future for both fishermen and fish in the U.S. and globally.
Our work at EDF Oceans is focused on aligning the economic and environmental incentives for fishermen to ensure a sustainable fishing future and we believe that catch shares are an essential tool to achieving this goal.
I was honored to participate in a panel hosted by the Brookings Institute and the Hamilton Project that featured a thoughtful discussion on how to improve the economic prosperity and long-term sustainability of the U.S. fishing industry. To frame the discussion, the Hamilton Project released an economic overview of the U.S. fishing industry, and panelists reviewed and discussed a new paper by economist Christopher Costello of U.C. Santa Barbara which calls for a getting fishermen the socio-economic data they need before making game-changing decisions about management of their fisheries. Read More
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Catch Shares, Domestic, MSA, national policy, socio-economic data, sustainable fisheries Comments are closed