Under the ocean's surface, something fishy is going on. Oceans, once teeming with fish, are becoming increasingly empty.
Many fish species face significant conservation issues; some of them are in danger of extinction as a result of overfishing. Why should we care? Not only because species loss is always a tragedy, but also because many depleted fish populations provide an important food source for humans,as well as marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and seals.
The U.S. government is required to protect fish, but is now poised to turn away from the crisis it helped create.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 is the primary federal law regulating commercial fishing in U.S. ocean waters. National Standard 1, often referred to as the cornerstone of the Act, specifically addressed the devastation to fish populations caused by overfishing. In 1996, Congress acknowledged that the Act must be strengthened to stop the dangerous decline in the most commercially valuable fish populations and amended the Magnuson-Stevens Act with the Sustainable Fisheries Act.
In 1998, National Standard 1 of the act was strengthened to require regional fishery councils to replenish overfished populations. Councils were to calculate for each species the minimum size of a healthy stock, the target population and target date for rebuilding a diminished stock, and limits on the amount of fish that could be caught to help the stock rebuild.
Now, as Congress is poised to go through the process of reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to drastically weaken the National Standard 1 in three specific ways. NMFS plans to:
- Permit continued overfishing of already depleted fish populations
- Extend the time frame in which fish populations are to be rebuilt
- Absolve fishery managers from the obligation to follow recommendations of fishery scientists
Overfishing: The Underbelly of A Concerning Issue
NOAA, defines overfishing as "a rate or level of fishing mortality that jeopardizes the capacity of a fishery to produce the maximum sustainable yield on a continuing basis." In other words, a fish population is being overfished if so many fish are being caught that the population cannot: replenish itself, remain healthy, and produce a maximum yield for the fishery exploiting it.
Reports from both the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission point to overfishing as a serious problem that should not be ignored. In the United States alone, fish stocks have been declining for at least 30 years. Perhaps the most famous of these declines is crash of the once super-abundant North Atlantic cod population.
"We are asking our members to help us fight a subtle change to a law that will result in a serious threat to marine life." |
As fish stocks are depleted, fishermen turn their attention to previously undesirable fish species, resulting in a ripple effect for overfishing of more and more stocks. The loss of fish stocks creates problems for consumers and the fishing industry, but also for other marine animals, who depend on eating fish for their survival. The Steller sea lion is a prime example of a species whose future survival is threatened by overfishing.
To compound problems, the finger of blame is commonly pointed at the seals and sea lions who eat fish, rather than at the root causes of overfishing and the loss of coastal spawning habitat for declining fish stocks. The bloody Canadian seal hunt is justified, in part, by the false claim that it is necessary to control greedy, fish-eating seals.
"The HSUS wants to protect the lives of marine mammals and other creatures who make the ocean their home, and that means protecting the food they rely on," said John Grandy, The HSUS's Senior Vice President for Wildlife and Habitat Protection. "We are asking our members to help us fight a subtle change to a law that will result in a serious threat to marine life."
What You Can Do
The public only has until October 21 to submit comments about the proposed rule. Please email NMFS head Bill Hogarth, and tell him that you oppose any attempt to weaken controls on overfishing. Urge him to keep National Standard 1 as it is currently written. Say that science, not profit margins, should prevail in fisheries management decisions.
Contact Information
William T. Hogarth, Ph.D.
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries Service
NOAA Fisheries
1315 East West Highway, SSMC3
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-713-2239
Fax: 301-713-1940
