Turning the Corner on Ending Overfishing 2012 - Annual Catch Limits Now in Place for Most Federal Fisheries
Dear Michael
Everyone
- commercial and recreational fishermen, NGOs, Councils, Congress and
NOAA - knew it would be a heavy lift to put accountability measures and
catch limits in place for all federally managed fisheries. Five years
ago this week the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act reauthorization was signed into law and required just that - catch
limits for all federally managed fisheries. Well, 2012 is here and we
are almost fully over the goal line. Yes, there are a few stragglers, but I can report that all federal fisheries will have catch limits in place in time for the 2012 fishing season.
Signed
into law on January 12, 2007, the reauthorized Act called for all
federal fisheries to be managed under annual catch limits and enforced
through accountability measures by the end of 2011. Over the last five
years, NOAA Fisheries, fishermen, the councils, our partner
organizations, the science community and many others have been actively
engaged and dedicated to achieving this goal.
Reaching
this milestone represents a historic achievement and I want to
particularly recognize the tremendous amount of effort and sacrifice on
the part of our nation's fishermen and fishing communities to get us
here. Catch limits and accountability measures to rebuild stocks and
ensure sustainable fisheries represent a collective investment in the
future of fishing. And while these benefits will accrue for generations
to come, in many cases they do require short-term cost. In addition to
fishermen around the country, our eight Regional Fishery Management
Councils deserve special recognition. Finally, the men and women of NOAA
must also be recognized for their unflagging commitment to this effort
and hard work in helping the nation turn the corner in our efforts to
end overfishing and rebuild stocks.
Bold
goals are difficult, and we all have weathered challenges, controversy
and economic difficulties in pursuit of this one. But even as we stand
here today with so much work behind us, we know that ending overfishing
is not something that is accomplished as a discrete end point. Rather,
it is a step in an ongoing and evolutionary process. The science and
management of federal fisheries will continue to evolve, change and
strengthen to support the needs of our commercial and recreational
fisheries and our coastal and ocean resources.
As
we begin 2012 and a new leg of this journey, I invite you to reflect on
the importance of our collective accomplishment and the strength it
provides us to move forward and tackle other issues still in front of
us. Some current challenges include working to further refine our
management approaches to better meet the needs of fishermen and coastal
communities, building on our world class science to better understand
trends in fish populations and ecosystem considerations, and taking
stronger steps to preserve protected resources like endangered species
and marine mammals. Other challenges on the horizon include addressing
habitat loss, pollution and environmental change and their effects on
our living marine resources. We also must continue to deal with global
challenges like pirate fishing.
We
have come a long way since 1976 when our nation's fisheries were being
decimated by uncontrolled overfishing by foreign fleets. Thirty-five
years later, we now stand at a point in history when the U.S. model of
fisheries management has evolved to become an international guidepost
for sustainable fishery practices. Still, we have much work ahead. So,
on behalf of NOAA Fisheries, I'm proud to congratulate all of you who
have been dedicated to achieving this goal and thank you for your
involvement and dedication to helping evolve and build the science-based
management that has become the signature of U.S. fisheries.
Eric C. Schwaab
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