US Fisheries are looking pretty healthy

US Fisheries are looking pretty healthy.

NOAA Fisheries released its annual status of US Fisheries last week which reports the fishing activity and population level for 474 federally-managed fish stocks.

The report has been issued annually since 1997.

The report found the number of domestic fish stocks listed as overfished has reached an all-time low, while the number of species on the overfishing list is near an all-time low.

Federal researchers say 91 percent of the fish stocks examined for fishing activity were not subject to overfishing and 87 percent of stocks were not overfished.

Three fish species which were considered overfished have now been rebuilt to healthy levels, bringing to 44 the number that have been rebuilt nationwide since 2000.

Two Gulf of Mexico species were taken off the overfished list last year – those are the Gray triggerfish and Red snapper – however gray triggerfish and greater amberjack were added to the list of species undergoing overfishing.
Healthy fisheries are good not just for the marine environment that relies on healthy fish stocks, but also the US economy.

Combined, U.S. commercial and recreational saltwater fishing generated more than $208 billion in sales and supported 1.6 million jobs in 2015.

When all the fisheries are fully rebuilt, they are expected to add $31 billion to the economy and an additional half million jobs.

You can see the full annual status of US Fisheries report – we have posted the link to the report on this story at oysterradio.com and on the Oyster Radio facebook page.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/2017-report-congress-status-us-fisheries

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