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Increase the long-term economic and social benefits to the nation from living marine resources by eliminating overfishing and rebuilding overfished stocks important to commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries.

Waters under U.S. jurisdiction contain more than one-fifth of the world's most productive marine areas. However, fisheries resources in these waters, the ecosystems that support them, and the communities that depend on them are under increasing pressure to meet a growing demand from consumers, who spend about $46 billion a year on fish products.

In the past, U.S. government subsidies fostered increases in capacity in the fisheries sector, and until recently, many fisheries in the U.S. had unrestricted access. As a result, too many boats were chasing too few fish. Several other factors have exacerbated the problems facing domestic fisheries. Bycatch (the incidental capture of nontarget species) has significantly harmed many species of fish and endangered sea turtles, marine mammals, and birds. In addition, much of the bycatch is discarded because it is less valuable than the target species.Other human stressors, such as coastal development, pollution, anchoring on coral reefs, and some types of fishing gear, have substantially degraded habitat essential for fish productivity.

With strong management in recent years, such as the federal implementation of programs controlling access to fisheries, many stocks are beginning to recover. Several fisheries have also begun to address the bycatch issue by requiring turtle- and fish- excluder devices, and the regional Fishery Management Councils are involving broader communities in the management of the nation's fisheries. But even with current efforts, 33% of federally managed fish stocks are overfished, and it will take ten years or more before some fisheries fully recover and become commercially viable and sustainable. New fisheries management practices will require a more broad-based ecosystem approach.

Ongoing Concerns

• Fishing overcapacity continues to exist in many U.S. fisheries.
• Bycatch of nontarget species, although declining, continues to threaten marine biodiversity and reduce economic opportunities in other fisheries.
• Current harvest restrictions may have to be even more stringent to eliminate overfishing and rebuild stocks to achieve sustainable economic benefits.
• The status of 65% of federal marine fisheries stocks is unknown, hampering our ability to manage fisheries sustainably.
• There are major data gaps on bycatch levels in many fisheries and on the impacts of fishing activities on most essential fish habitats.
• The short-term effects of much-needed marine conservation measures may severely strain the economies of local communities.
• Consumers are unaware of how their consumption drives fishing pressure, and are unable to distinguish between sustainably and nonsustainably harvested fisheries products.

Recommendations

• Evaluate and apply creative measures to reduce fishing overcapacity, including leveraged buyouts and rights-based fishing.
• Create short- and long- term opportunities to decrease the economic burden on fishing communities by redirecting fishing effort into supporting activities, such as fishery research.
• Provide fisheries managers with the best available technology to survey and properly assess fish stock levels, enabling them to better set appropriate fishing limits.
• Create incentives to reduce adverse effects on nontarget species and marine habitat.
• Develop technologies to improve fisheries science and further reduce bycatch and waste.
• Explore the scientific and conservation benefits of marine harvest refugia and other protected areas.
• Support the development of an ecolabelling system that provides consumers with additional information so that they have the option of purchasing sustainably harvested fish.
• Seek Congressional support for the Clinton/Gore Lands Legacy Initiative, which calls for significant funding to help restore U.S. fisheries.

For more information

http://www.nmfs.gov
http://www.uscg.mil
http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/
http://www.nmfs.gov/councils/
http://www.nmfs.gov/sfa/