Ocean Conservancy Welcomes Revised National Guidelines to End Overfishing

New Guidelines Pave the Way for Incoming Administration to End Overfishing in American Waters Once and For All

January 15, 2009

Media Contact: Tim McHugh

Washington, DC The National Marine Fisheries Service today published guidelines that are essential for ensuring fishery managers adopt management measures for ending overfishing in our nation’s oceans. The guidelines reflect the strong direction from Congress to put an end to overfishing using science-based catch levels and holding both fishery managers and the fishing industry accountable for adhering to those limits. While the new guidelines provide a good roadmap for our nation’s fishery managers to follow, it will be incumbent on the new Administration, including the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA Administrator, to ensure that this map is followed with the foremost goal of long-term fishery sustainability.

"Congress tried to address the significant problem of overfishing over 12 years ago, yet the problem persists nonetheless. In reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act (the nation’s premier fishery management law) in 2006, Congress spoke loud and clear that overfishing must verifiably end, and end by 2010," explained Chris Dorsett, Ocean Conservancy’s vice president of Fishery Conservation and Management. "Today’s new guidelines reflect the intent of Congress to end overfishing and rebuild healthy oceans and fishing communities. We will continue to work with the fishery management Councils and the incoming administration to finally end overfishing once and for all."

Dorsett continued, "Overfishing, the practice of taking fish from the ocean faster than they are capable of reproducing, has plagued U.S. fisheries for generations, and has had profound negative effects on the health of marine ecosystems and coastal communities."