Overfishing Ends In Us Marine Fisheries

[Tim Smith]

The steps that have been taken to rebuild marine fisheries have been controversial...

...but some stock numbers are already increasing.

Maybe better days are ahead.

From the Cleveland Leader;

US Fishers Won't Overfish for the First Time Since 1900

By Julie Kent <http://www.clevelandleader.com/user/3> . Published on

01/09/2011 - 11:07am ; www.clevelandleader.com

The United State's top fishing experts say that for the first time since at

least 1900, US fishers won't take too much of any species from the sea.

Scientist Steve Murawski (AFS member, '02), who retired as chief scientist

at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service

last week, said:

"As far as we know, we've hit the right levels, which is a milestone. And

this isn't just a decadal milestone, this is a century phenomenon."

Murawski says that it also signals the coming of increasingly healthy stocks

and better days ahead for fishers who have suffered financially. The fleets

in New England have deteriorated since the mid 1990s, dropping from 1,200

boats to about 580. Murawski believes that the worst times have passed.

And end to overfishing, however, doesn't mean that all stocks are healthy

but scientists believe that it's an important first step to getting there.

When a species is overfished, fishers are catching them at a rate that

scientists believe is too fast to ensure the species can rebuild and stay

healthy.

In 2007 a reauthorization of the nation's fisheries law, the

Magnuson-Stevens Act, included a mandate to end overfishing by the 2010

fishing year, which concludes at different times in 2011 depending on the

region. The US is the only country that has a law that defines overfishing

and requires its fishers not to engage in it. He says:

"When you compare the United States with the European Union, with Asian

countries, et cetera, we are the only industrialized fishing nation who

actually has succeeded in ending overfishing,"

Under the new rules, fishers in New England work in groups called sectors to

divide an annual quota of groundfish, which include cod, haddock and

flounder. Should they surpass their limits on one species, they must stop

fishing on all species. Federal data earlier this year indicated that New

England fishers were on pace to catch fewer than their allotted fish in all

but one stock, Georges Bank winter flounder. Murawski says that he did not

expect fishers to exceed their quota on any stock.

Regulators also believe that in other regions with overfishing, including

the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic and Caribbean, catch limits and other

measures will end overfishing this year.

Detailed stock assessments will give the final verification that overfishing

has ended nationwide.

[FishinCricket]

No thanks to all us liberal tree hugging hippies....

[Smalliebigs]

Now, if we could just do something about Japan, then some of the Ocean's mammals and fishes would have half a fighting chance.Hell they round up Dolphin over there and ruthlessly gaff them and beat um over the head??? for what??? seceret oils to bathe in... The Japanese will net, harpoon, kill, cheat and steal to get their hands on just about any oceans creatures. They are horrible as are some of Scandinavian countries, there is also a whole bunch of third world countries that trash the oceans under the guise that they don't know any better or it's tradition....give me a break!!!

[Quillback]

Overfishing ended because the fish were almost wiped out. If and when fish stocks rebound, we have to make sure overfishing does not again rear it's ugly head.

[Tim Smith]

...there is also a whole bunch of third world countries that trash the oceans under the guise that they don't know any better or it's tradition....give me a break!!!

One man's trash is another man's livelihood.

Don't forget a lot of those 3rd world fishers are also on the edge of starvation.

And it's not just the 3rd world that's scraping by and insisting on traditions. The US fishing industry (including recreational guides) is furious about many of the current and emerging crop of regulations and there's quite a bit of sentiment about the right to hand down fishing rights from father to son and to preserve local practices. There's real pain there now because of the effort to keep the industry small enough that it won't expand with the rising stocks and crash everything again.

They're furious at the government right now.

[Justin Spencer]

Easy to blame third world countries as we take a hot shower, sit down in front of our furnace or air conditioner and answer the door as the pizza delivery man shows up.

There is a big difference in exploiting a resource to get richer, and fishing or hunting to survive. While they both might hurt a resource it is hard to blame someone for trying to feed their family and survive. Plenty of people around here shoot deer year round to put meat on the table and nobody cares because we understand it is that or nothing for some of these people.

We are ALL fortunate to have been born in a country with goods and services that are better and cheaper than most other places. Before we go and complain about some of these other countries exploiting resources and complaining about their practices we need to put ourselves in their shoes.

Looks like maybe we have led by example in the area of overfishing, this is what the United States (if we really are a leader in the world) must do in all global aspects if we hope that other countries will change their practices. Change won't come quickly, but it must start somewhere.

We must be able to go to the Hall of Justice and say here is what we are doing or have done, now let's see you do the same. Everyone will face some sacrifice with these changes (seafood prices have risen for example), but unless we are willing to sacrifice nothing will ever change.

[Outside Bend]

there is also a whole bunch of third world countries that trash the oceans under the guise that they don't know any better or it's tradition....give me a break!!!

Not to mention that many third world nations have had their marine fisheries decimated by the fleets of "developed" nations, which had already mismanaged and exhausted their own fishing grounds...

[Steve_IA]

Justin, Are you justifying poaching by those who are poor? If I believe the wild deer population in your area is a resource of the greater society and that society has set hunting seasons and limits to protect that resource, then how can I look at poaching outside of those parameters as anything but a wrong committed against that greater society? Would it be just as acceptable to allow the poor in your neighborhood to help themselves to venison or other food staples from your freezer? We absolutely should help those in our society that need help surviving, but it is necessary that we do it within the parameters set by our laws. I'm glad to see you have a caring heart.

steve

[gotmuddy]

Justin, Are you justifying poaching by those who are poor? If I believe the wild deer population in your area is a resource of the greater society and that society has set hunting seasons and limits to protect that resource, then how can I look at poaching outside of those parameters as anything but a wrong committed against that greater society? Would it be just as acceptable to allow the poor in your neighborhood to help themselves to venison or other food staples from your freezer? We absolutely should help those in our society that need help surviving, but it is necessary that we do it within the parameters set by our laws. I'm glad to see you have a caring heart.

steve

I would rather poor people shoot a doe every now and then rather than live off welfare. I live in the ideal deer environment apparently because they are everywhere. They are overpopulated even with hunting regs.

[eric1978]

Easy to blame third world countries as we take a hot shower, sit down in front of our furnace or air conditioner and answer the door as the pizza delivery man shows up.

There is a big difference in exploiting a resource to get richer, and fishing or hunting to survive. While they both might hurt a resource it is hard to blame someone for trying to feed their family and survive. Plenty of people around here shoot deer year round to put meat on the table and nobody cares because we understand it is that or nothing for some of these people.

We are ALL fortunate to have been born in a country with goods and services that are better and cheaper than most other places. Before we go and complain about some of these other countries exploiting resources and complaining about their practices we need to put ourselves in their shoes.

Looks like maybe we have led by example in the area of overfishing, this is what the United States (if we really are a leader in the world) must do in all global aspects if we hope that other countries will change their practices. Change won't come quickly, but it must start somewhere.

We must be able to go to the Hall of Justice and say here is what we are doing or have done, now let's see you do the same. Everyone will face some sacrifice with these changes (seafood prices have risen for example), but unless we are willing to sacrifice nothing will ever change.

True that, all of it. Well said.