US Fisheries are looking pretty healthy – but there has been an increased in the number of species that are considered overfished

US Fisheries are looking pretty healthy – but there has been an increased in the number of species that are considered overfished.

NOAA Fisheries released its annual status of US Fisheries last week which reports the fishing activity and population level for 479 federally-managed fish stocks.

The report has been issued annually since 1997.

The report found the 8 more species have been added to the domestic fish stocks listed as overfished, while the number of species on the overfishing list is near an all-time low.

Federal researchers say 93 percent of the fish stocks examined for fishing activity were not subject to overfishing and 82 percent of stocks were not overfished.

One fish species which was considered overfished has now been rebuilt to healthy levels, bringing to 45 the number that have been rebuilt nationwide since 2000.

Two Gulf of Mexico species were taken off the list of of species undergoing overfishing - those are the Gray triggerfish and Greater amberjack.
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 $212 billion in sales and supported 1.7 million jobs in 2016

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/2018-report-congress-status-us-fisheries?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

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