Our oceans are in trouble, too many fish are being caught, too much other wildlife is being killed in non-selective commercial fisheries, and critical ocean habitat is being damaged by destructive fishing practices. These problems threaten the health and sustainability of our ocean ecosystems.
The federal agency responsible for managing and conserving the fish in America's oceans, the National Marine Fisheries Service, is asking the public what we think about the job they've been doing. They've created an online comment form to enable you to submit a comment. Please follow the link and comment today.
Percentage of fish populations the U.S. government is responsible for managing whose health is completely unknown:
74.6%
Percentage of federally managed fish populations in U.S. waters whose health is known that are overfished:
36.3%
Percentage of federally managed fish populations in U.S. waters that are known to be healthy:
8.6%
Percentage of large fish including: tuna, marlin, swordfish, sharks, cod, and halibut remaining in the world's oceans:
10%
Number of years it takes industrial fishing operations to reduce a previously unfished population by 80 percent:
10-15%
Talking points/suggested answers:
What is the most important issue facing fisheries in your region?
NOAA Fisheries and the regional fishery management councils have failed to implement the Sustainable Fisheries Act. They have allowed many of our nation's ocean fish populations to be seriously overfished, and failed to develop and implement rebuilding plans for all overfished populations. The agency and councils have also failed to effectively reduce that number of animals that are killed unnecessarily in ocean fisheries. Finally, they have failed to protect essential fish habitat.
Conflict of interest in the fishery management councils has created a system in which decisions are frequently made based on short-term economic considerations rather than the long-term health of our ocean ecosystems.
Too many fish are being caught causing serious declines in many fish populations and seriously harming ocean ecosystems.
Destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling and dredging are destroying habitat that many ocean species depend on for their survival.
Other wildlife including sea turtles, sea birds and unwanted fish, are being killed unnecessarily in non-selective commercial fishing operations.
Federal managers do not have sufficient information to effectively manage our ocean fish populations.
Who has responsibility over this issue? If unclear or uncertain, who should be in charge?
NOAA Fisheries, the regional fisheries management councils, Congress, and the President are all responsible for the stewardship of our fisheries.
Identify and describe a possible solution or solutions that would remedy the issue.
Establish a national ocean resource conservation policy that creates an independent department of the oceans and makes conservation of ocean ecosystems the highest priority.
Fundamentally reform the way our ocean resources and ecosystems are managed.
Remove conflict of interest from the fisheries management council process.
Remove decisions on the health of fish populations – how many fish can be caught – from the regional fishery management councils.
Require an end to overfishing and rebuilding all overfished populations.
Protect important fish habitats.
Manage fisheries under a system that takes the health and needs of the entire ecosystem into account rather than an individual fish population.
Does the solution require (a) no changes to the present administrative or statutory structure, or (b) administrative changes, and if so, what changes would you propose, or (c) statutory changes, and if so, what would they be?
Protecting our ocean ecosystems, and managing ocean resources responsibly will require a fundamental reform of current law, and the way the law is administered.
How could one measure whether the solution is being properly implemented and
working?
America would have healthy abundant fish populations and ocean ecosystems.
