Build Sustainable Fisheries
Total Request $327,891,000
Strategic Plan Chart | Strategic Plan Table
Activity-Based Chart | Activity-Based
Table
Performance Measures
Vision
NOAA's vision for the next decade is to increase greatly the Nation's
wealth and quality of life through sustainable fisheries that support fishing
industry jobs, safe and wholesome seafood and recreational opportunities.
Challenge
Billions of dollars in economic growth, thousands of jobs and countless
recreational fishing opportunities are being wasted as a result of overfishing
and overcapitalization in commercial and recreational fisheries. While many
fisheries are well managed and producing positive benefits, others are severely
depleted, and must be restored to realize their long-term potential. For
example, the historically important New England groundfish fishery closed
in 1994 due to the collapse of stocks. Transboundary resources can be especially
vulnerable as they require international cooperation to achieve effective
conservation and management. U.S. fisheries are troubled by bycatch, including
juvenile and protected marine species, controversial allocation decisions
among elements of fishing industries, and degradation and loss of essential
fish habitat. Uncertainty in scientific information makes management decisions
difficult.
Implementation Strategy
The objectives of this goal are to:
- Assess the status of fishery resources, through stock assessments and
population dynamics research, to improve the scientific basis for policy
decisions.
- Advance fishery predictions through research and applications.
- Manage for economic growth and sustainable fisheries by working with
Fishery Management Councils, foreign nations and others to develop plans
for reducing excessive fishing and capital investment.
- Ensure adequate and voluntary compliance with fishery regulations.
- Provide research and services for fishery-dependent industries to maximize
the potential benefits from the Nation's marine resources.
Benefits
Rebuilding and maintaining fisheries will promote the economic and biologic
sustainability of U.S. fishing resources, and assist the commercial fishing
industry in becoming more competitive internationally. NOAA estimates that
restoring fisheries may add as much as $2.9 billion in potential net value
to the U.S. economy as overfished stocks recover and over-capitalization
is reduced. A potential $25 billion total impact on the national economy
(direct, indirect and induced) will develop thousands of new jobs. Along
with economic gains, this activity will enhance recreational opportunities,
reduce our seafood trade deficit, improve the management of fisheries, and
save lives by eliminating the dangerous and wasteful race for the fish.
FY 1997 Accomplishments
During FY 1997, NOAA continued to provide national leadership to maintain
and improve the health of U.S. fisheries. In the progress toward building
sustainable fisheries, most significantly NOAA:
Made major progress toward assessing the status of fishery stocks through
numerous surveys and technical reviews.
Provided accurate and timely information and guidance to Federal, state,
and local decision-makers that allowed fisheries management decisions to
be based on sound science.
Added new access control measures to nine fishery management plans to
strengthen the long-term sustainability of fisheries stocks.
Advanced fishery predictions through biological and oceanographic research.
Reduced the cost of stock assessments by introducing more advanced technology,
including remote sensing techniques.
Continued work to improve fishery habitat and to predict harmful algal
blooms and mitigate their effects.
Designed and implemented harvest active capacity reduction programs,
and reduced active capacity by 19% in the New England groundfish fishery
through a buy-back program.
Provided fishers with economic and technical support during stock rebuilding
efforts.
Key FY 1999 Activities
Implement provisions of the Sustainable Fisheries Act amendments to the
MSFCMA based on available information on overfishing, bycatch, essential
fish habitat and safety at sea. NOAA must revise all 39 existing fishery
management plans to comply with new national standards for these elements.
Research is required to understand the effects of fishing impacts on habitat,
and develop management programs to mitigate those impacts. Other activities
include completing reports and studies, establishing advisory panels and
promulgating new regulations. The new requirements substantially increase
the workload of the eight regional fishery management councils.
Improve the analytical capability to predict and monitor the economic
and social consequences of fisheries management decisions on fishing communities.
NOAA will implement a comprehensive plan for fisheries data collection nationally
that will improve fisheries data and fill gaps in the current data collection
systems with respect to economic and social data.
Continue to collect resource survey data with an emphasis on stocks of
unknown or uncertain status, and on high priority stocks. The Sustainable
Fisheries Act requires an expansion of effort to achieve annual assessments
of all stocks. Data collection will be accomplished with NOAA platforms
or through charter arrangements for vessels, through satellite remote sensing
and data communication capabilities, and through the collection of additional
fishery-dependent statistics.
Develop programs related to management of fishing effort; a central registry
system of limited access permit systems, a standardized vessel registration
system and inventory and regulation of allowable gear by fishery.
Advance enforcement and surveillance programs to educate the public,
deter potential offenders, and detect, apprehend and prosecute willful violators.
Fisheries management measures promulgated to comply with the Sustainable
Fisheries Act will require increased enforcement. Strategies will include
implementation of a technologically advanced Vessel Monitoring System that
avoids expensive and intrusive at-sea boardings and continuing examination
of satellite capabilities for fisheries enforcement purposes.
Support aquaculture for indigenous species of marine species in near
and off-shore environments and in on-shore recirculating systems. In addition
to developing technology, NOAA will evaluate impacts of aquaculture activity
on ecosystems and wildstock genetic integrity and health. Efforts will address
siting, permitting, licensing and regulatory requirements, especially for
aquaculture in the exclusive economic zone. Financial assistance will be
provided for environmentally-sound aquaculture ventures.
Continue harmful algal bloom research, with the goal of developing predictive
models and mitigation strategies. This work expands harmful algal bloom
ecosystem studies, and has application to all U.S. coastal areas. |