This statement on the Hilborn and Worm paper, published in the July 31 edition of Science, was issued by Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator.
Rebuilding our fisheries is a top priority at NOAA. Doing so is essential to preserving the livelihoods of fishermen, the vibrancy of our coastal communities, a sustainable supply of healthy seafood, and restoring ocean ecosystems to a healthy state.
To succeed, we must work closely with recreational and commercial fishermen, scientists, conservationists and everyone with a stake in healthy fisheries. We must innovate. We must act boldly. And, we must make tough decisions firmly grounded in scientific information.
A new report in the July 31 issue of Science provides useful guidance. It highlights both some important successes and challenges for our fisheries. The two-year study, “Rebuilding Global Fisheries,” concludes that efforts to end overfishing around the world are beginning to pay dividends. The message is loud and clear: When we set firm fishing limits, fish and habitats can recover.
Co-authored by 21 of the world’s leading marine ecologists and fisheries scientists from academia and government, including NOAA’s Dr. Mike Fogarty, this consensus paper is the first exhaustive evaluation of 31 of the world’s most economically and ecologically important marine ecosystems and more than 160 individual fish stocks.
“This is the first time we’ve seen academic marine biologists and fishery population experts coming together with one voice to assess both the state of individual fish populations and the health of marine ecosystems,” says Dr. Steve Murawski, chief scientist for NOAA Fisheries.
The paper revealed a number of key findings, including:
Five of the 10 most intensely studied large marine ecosystems are showing positive signs of recovery. These include three in the United States: the Northeast Continental Shelf (Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, N.C.); the California Current (stretching from the coast of Washington to Mexico); and Alaska’s eastern Bering Sea. About two-thirds of 166 individual fish stocks studied are being fished at sustainable rates. Despite these efforts, however, many of these same fish populations are still in need of rebuilding, including about 25 percent of U.S. stocks studied. This includes several flounder and cod species in the Northeast, Caribbean grouper, and reef fishes in the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
The paper also recognized a number of tools that have proven effective in managing fisheries and ending overfishing. Strong fishing laws and catch shares are both highlighted. The United States is fortunate to have strong legislation; NOAA is committed to ending overfishing by 2010 as mandated under the Magnuson-Stevens Act of 2006.
In addition, NOAA is increasing its efforts to work with fishery managers, management councils and fishermen to implement catch shares. Catch share program give fishermen a stake in the benefits of a well-managed fishery and, therefore, greater incentive to ensure effective management. Twelve catch share programs are underway in the United States and more are in development. NOAA’s Catch Share Task Force is actively exploring ways to make this tool as effective and as broadly utilized as possible. NOAA views catch shares as a powerful tool to achieve the goals of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
“Even though we recognize that taking the steps to reduce exploitation rates causes some short-term economic costs to fishing communities, it sets the stage for sustainable, long-term gains,” says Dr. Fogarty, who heads the Ecosystem Assessment Program at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
Dr. Fogarty says the current study in Science is the most comprehensive of global fisheries studies done to date. This is due in part to major contributions from NOAA Fisheries scientists, Dr. Rick Methot and Kristan.
Although progress has been made, there is much more work to be done. NOAA Fisheries will continue to work toward sustainable fisheries and healthy fishing communities. Scientific analyses underpin our ability to be responsible stewards of the oceans. Studies like this one in Science will continue to guide our actions. I thank all of the NOAA scientists who are working hard to enable responsible fishery management.