A new report was released in December titled
"Oceans of Abundance," written in collaboration
by scientists, environmentalists, academics and
bipartisan policymakers. This report suggests
that overfishing in America���s waters could be
stopped if the federal fishing regulations were
updated, using Alaska���s fishery management
practices as a model. The purpose of the report
is to draft recommendations for the incoming
president and was brought together by the
Environmental Defense Fund and the Marine Conservation Biology Institute. According
to an Alaska Public Radio News report, the focus of the report is on the "importance of
reducing overfishing, which could, in turn, build a healthier fish stock, restore oceans,
and boost economic opportunities for fishermen."
Amanda Leland with the Environmental Defense Fund says that despite varied
perspectives, "the group all felt very strongly that the science is clear there���s a problem,
that the science is clear that there���s a solution, and that the moment is right to move
forward with implementing that solution, which is catch shares."
Catch or quota shares have been used in the Alaska Halibut and Sablefish fisheries for
more than a decade. In this quota system, scientists determine the catch limit and the
fishermen are then only allowed to catch the amount allotted to them. Alaska���s fisheries
are recognized as a model of how this system can work.
The "Oceans of Abundance" report sets a goal that all federal fishery management plans
will be evaluated for catch shares by 2012. By 2016, the goal is to have at least half of
these plans feature catch shares. The report followed a September article in the Journal
of Science that stated, "Fish stocks are far less likely to collapse in areas that use catch
shares." The article further noted that fisheries that converted to a catch shares system
from traditional methods, such as seasonal limits or an overall catch limit, actually
stopped the fishery���s decline.
Source: Libby Casey, APRN, Washington, D.C., December 2, 2008
