National Seafood
Month Happenings – Week 1
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
reauthorization process is now taking place in Washington D.C.
- How far have we come since its inception in
1976?
- What are the proposed modifications
circulating on Capitol Hill?
- What is Sea Port’s view?
How has the Magnuson-Stevens
Act evolved since its inception in 1976?
·
In a span of just less than 40 years, we went
from no comprehensive management plan for our federal marine fisheries to the
present day system administered by NOAA that is
internationally regarded as the best.
·
We have ended overfishing for over 92% of our
federally managed marine fish stocks.
Just a few stocks like the problematic
New England cod fishery are being overfished and this confounding situation
may be entirely related to ecosystem changes rather than any failings of the
science that establishes annual catch limits to prevent overfishing.
Some of the proposed modifications circulating
on Capitol Hill:
·
Expand the utilization of real time high-tech
sensors for collecting catch data on vessels and directly from marine habitats to
better assess the status of stocks and their changing environments. Please see Sea Port’s past blog about high-tech
sensors changing sustainable fishery practices and policies.
·
Provide better direction and authority to councils for implementing
ecosystem based fishery management decisions
·
Address stock allocation equity issues between
commercial and recreational fisheries and improve the collection of catch data
from the sports fishery sector
·
Provide for increased flexibility in meeting
rebuilding timelines for overfished stocks to allow for the consideration of subsistence
fisheries, fishing communities, and changes in marine ecosystems
·
Make available a NOAA sustainability label or
certificate for federal fisheries that are responsibly managed
Sea Port’s view
·
Sea Port believes there is a timely need for the
Magnuson-Steven Act to take an even more holistic view of the ecosystem based
fishery management model. This broader
perspective would include the consequences of man’s behavior on both land and
sea. By doing so, the human activities that
cause harmful levels of CO2 emissions, oil spills, fertilizer runoff marine dead
zones, and riparian and coastal wetlands loss would be identified as being key determinants
in our ability to achieve sustainable fisheries for future generations. Currently, these human created negative
impacts all threaten the productive capacities of our global marine resources.
·
Sea Port would also like to see enhanced efforts
to increase NOAA’s international leadership role to help solve the global
problems of high seas fisheries accountability, IUU fishing, fish stock
mismanagement, and the environmental
degradation that is occurring worldwide to productive coastal and riparian
habitats.
The Bottom Line (not an
October surprise):
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
evolved into an environmental and economic success story for the vast majority
of our federally managed marine fisheries and the communities they support. Let’s all celebrate this by choosing to eat a
variety of seafood more than just two times per week during our National
Seafood Month of October.
"Seafood has become a powerful ambassador for global ocean
stewardship--effectively connecting the wellbeing of human populations to the
health and productivity of our ocean resources; and more importantly, our
collective responsibility for their stewardship." read more...
Eileen Sobeck,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
National Seafood
Month, 2014
Happy National Seafood Month!
Sincerely, Dave Glaubke – Director of Sustainability
Initiatives
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