Today we posted our Draft Division Enforcement Priorities for 2013 online, and I invite you to send us your comments.
WASHINGTON — Jan. 24. 2013 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Director Bruce Buckson:
Today we posted our Draft Division Enforcement Priorities for 2013 online, and I invite you to send us your comments. The document will be available for the next 60 days on our website. You can email us your comments at enforcementpriorities@noaa.gov or mail them to NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, attention Tracy Dunn, 8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 415, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
As you may remember, the Office of Law Enforcement established the office’s first ever enforcement priorities last year. We took this process very seriously, soliciting input from constituents and partners through many channels, including the National Enforcement Summit, the fishery management councils and the interstate commissions. We have committed to establishing our national enforcement priorities every two years and our Division enforcement priorities each year to meet our mission and guide our planning. The 2012 national priorities can be found here.
Division priorities vary according to region-specific resources, activities, and threats. Because fish stocks, fishing gear, and management programs are not identical across the country, our Divisions must tailor their priorities appropriately. Setting Division priorities helps sustainable fisheries and protected resources by focusing our enforcement work as effectively and efficiently as possible. Our special agents, enforcement officers and support staff cannot do everything or be everywhere at once, so these priorities will help us focus our resources and strategically use our state and federal partnerships to provide the most benefit for marine resources and the American people.
While the identified priority areas will be the focus, we will continue to encourage compliance with and enforce all marine statutes and regulations for which we are responsible. Simply not listing a specific stock of fish or area as a priority below does not mean enforcement actions will not be taken—all regulations must be enforced.
As we look to the future, we anticipate increasing demand for our services that are vital to our nation: productive fisheries, safe and sustainable seafood, the recovery and conservation of protected resources, and healthy ecosystems. Meeting this mission requires not only state-of-the art science and management programs, but also a fair, effective, and comprehensive compliance and enforcement program.
Our partnerships with industry, NGOs and others are critical to our success in supporting NOAA Fisheries’ core mission mandates: maximizing productivity of sustainable fisheries and fishing communities; and protection, recovery and conservation of protected species. Thank you all for what you already do to help us protect our nation’s precious marine resources and their natural habitat.