March 13, 2013 — Nearly two-thirds of once depleted U.S. fish stocks, including monkfish and sea scallops, are now thriving or bouncing back, a report today says.
Of 44 fish stocks, 27 — or 64% — have been rebuilt or have met rebuilding targets because of 1996 federal requirements that protected them from overfishing, according to an analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The law that sets such limits is due for an update this year, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers is proposing to relax the rules.
"We now have the strongest fishery system in the world," says NRDC senior attorney Brad Sewell, noting many foreign fisheries are in decline. His report says there's an upswing in the number of U.S. recreational fishing trips and the gross commercial revenue of the 27 rebuilding stocks — worth a total $585 million annually.
"We're at this watershed moment," Sewell says, referring to the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. That law was used to help reverse what was an emerging crisis in the 1990s when many of New England's iconic groundfish stocks, such as cod, haddock and flounder, faced collapse.
Yet anglers have protested what they say are the law's rigid and arbitrary 10-year timetables to reach certain stock levels, as measured in pounds.
"Fishermen are rightfully frustrated by overly burdensome management measures," Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said at a 2011 news conference in Washington, about his bill to extend the time periods for rebuilding fisheries. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has introduced a similar measure in the Senate, and the proposals have GOP co-sponsors.
"There's this slowly escalating support" to loosen the rules, Sewell says, adding it could undermine the U.S. global leadership on rebuilding fish stocks.
The NRDC report says that of the 44 stocks analyzed, 21 were from New England — 12 of which are rebuilt or making significant progress, including: Acadian redfish, American plaice, barndoor skate, Georges Bank haddock, monkfish, red hake, sea scallops, scup, silver hake, spiny dogfish, windowpane flounder and yellowtail founder (southern New England).
Read the full story at USA Today