Gateway to Think Tanks
来源类型 | REPORT |
规范类型 | 报告 |
America’s Blueprint for Sustainable Fisheries | |
Michael Conathan; Avery Siciliano | |
发表日期 | 2016-09-14 |
出版年 | 2016 |
语种 | 英语 |
概述 | Ten years after landmark bipartisan legislation made U.S. fisheries the most sustainably managed in the world, it’s time to think about what comes next for fish, fishermen, and fishing communities. |
摘要 |
One hundred and thirty-five years ago, Congress first acknowledged that perhaps the ocean’s cornucopia of seafood was not bottomless. In passing a joint resolution establishing the Office of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, Congress laid the first brick in a road that would ultimately lead to a new discipline of science that helps inform and manage America’s multibillion-dollar commercial fishing industry. The United States oversees the largest exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, in the world, covering 4.4 million square miles of ocean, an area larger than that of all 50 states combined. From turquoise Caribbean waters to the nutrient-rich currents coursing through the Bering Sea, U.S. fisheries span a variety of oceanographic regions and ecosystems. And thanks to strict science-based management measures, Americans can make a strong case that their fisheries are better managed than those of any other nation in the world. Globally, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, estimates that more than 58 percent of the world’s commercial fisheries are fully exploited and one-third are overfished. This is troubling enough in its own right, but even more so when considering that the health of ocean ecosystems—including the number of thriving fish stocks—is a leading indicator of how resilient the oceans will be against environmental pressures such as climate change and ocean acidification. And when fish are managed effectively, they not only provide ecological benefits but economic and social returns as well. Specific legislation has governed U.S. federal fisheries management for decades: The original Fishery Conservation and Management Act celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, or MSRA, has now been in effect for 10 years. In recognition of these anniversaries, this report provides a timeline of formative fisheries legislation and reflects in depth on the past decade of fisheries management in the United States. It then highlights successes and challenges in rebuilding fish stocks and ending overfishing in domestic waters. Finally, it provides recommendations for ensuring that U.S. fisheries continue to rely on ever-improving scientific data to lead the world in sustainability measures while sustaining coastal communities and economies over the next decade. Specifically:
While the authors recognize that recreational fishing is a critical component of U.S. fishery management, they have chosen to focus exclusively on the effect of the MSRA’s reforms on America’s commercial fishing sector. They have also deliberately chosen not to address aquaculture under the auspices of this report. They expect to address both of these vital issues in future products. In 2011, former NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco stated, “rebuilding all U.S. fish stocks would generate an additional $31 billion in sales impacts, support an additional 500,000 jobs and increase dockside revenues to fishermen by $2.2 billion, which is more than a 50 percent increase from the current annual dockside revenues.” Ensuring that U.S. fisheries remain on track to achieve these projections without compromising the long-term health of fish populations or other aspects of our ocean ecosystems must remain a priority for champions of sustainable fishing in Congress, the executive branch, and coastal communities nationwide. Michael Conathan is the Director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress. Avery Siciliano is a Research Associate for Ocean Policy at the Center. |
主题 | Energy and Environment |
URL | https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2016/09/14/144126/americas-blueprint-for-sustainable-fisheries/ |
来源智库 | Center for American Progress (United States) |
资源类型 | 智库出版物 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.153/handle/2XGU8XDN/436378 |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Michael Conathan,Avery Siciliano. America’s Blueprint for Sustainable Fisheries. 2016. |
条目包含的文件 | ||||||
文件名称/大小 | 资源类型 | 版本类型 | 开放类型 | 使用许可 | ||
MSAreport.pdf(875KB) | 智库出版物 | 限制开放 | CC BY-NC-SA | 浏览 |
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