November 29, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA:
Turkey time means taking a short break from FishNews, but we still wanted to give you something good to chew on.
This season is all about giving thanks. This week, and every week, we are thankful for the partnerships with our diverse stakeholders and their commitments and investments in the stewardship practices that have placed the U.S. at the forefront of sustainably managing and conserving living marine resources – from fish to critters to habitat. As we celebrate this unique American holiday of thanks, here's some feature stories that provide good food for thought.
If you're wanting something other than turkey for this Thanksgiving, our new video on FishWatch.gov, Getting Back to Local-Your Fishermen and Seafood will show you why serving local sustainable catch makes a big difference–not just for the diner, but for the local fishermen and the community too. One fair warning though…watch it and you may get a little hungry.
Also as we enter the holiday season, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, enacted in December of 1973. The ESA has been critical for protecting threatened and endangered species for future generations and continues to push and grow our science, understanding and stewardship practices. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, flip through our 40 Species for 40 Years of the Endangered Species Act for more about some of the species we protect under the Act.
The importance of ESA is reflected in two feature stories this week. One about a fish that's hard to follow but is back again and spawning in the Chesapeake Bay. We're talking about endangered Atlantic sturgeon.
Sturgeon have been gone so long we've forgotten the basic life history information we need to boost their recovery. But a species recovery grant from NOAA Fisheries should help reconnect with this fish. And another ESA critter, the bowhead whale and its importance to the life and livelihoods of our northern most communities, is profiled in A Whale of Thanksgiving Day Feast.
Lastly, on the international fisheries front we want to note that the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas concluded this week. You can access the full story and highlights here.
From your team at NOAA Fisheries–have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.