US Fish Stocks looking better than they have since 1997

The number of domestic fish stocks listed as overfished or subject to overfishing has dropped to an all-time low since 1997.

NOAA's Status of U.S. Fisheries report says that 6 fish stocks including the Jacks Complex in The Gulf of Mexico were removed from the overfishing list over the past year.

Two other species, including Gag grouper in the Gulf of Mexico were no longer listed as overfished.

A stock is on the overfishing list when the annual catch rate is too high. A stock is on the overfished list when the population size of a stock is too low, whether because of fishing or other causes.

That makes 37 rebuilt U.S. marine fish populations over the last 14 years.

NOAA Fisheries also reported other positive news in that 91 percent of the US fish populations examined for fishing activity were not being fished at too high a level, compared to 90 percent in 2012.

Currently 20 species are on the list of fish being overfished, and 38 species are considered overfished.

You can see the full report for yourself by following the link we’ve set up on this story on the news page at oysterradio.com and on the Oyster Radio facebook page.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/news/2015/status_of_stocks_2014.html.

http://live.oysterradio.com/