June 5, 2013 — You might not notice much fanfare, but today, Wednesday the 5th, is a big day for Juneau. It is the opening day of the 214th plenary session of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council – meeting in Juneau for the first time in more than 20 years. As Regional Administrator for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Region, and on behalf of the City and Borough of Juneau, I'd like to welcome the Council and meeting attendees to Southeast Alaska.
Alaska's federally-managed fisheries are known worldwide as being among the most sustainable and valuable fisheries on the planet-worth billions to the U.S. economy and an important component of Alaska's seafood industry, the largest private sector employer in the State. In fact, about 60 percent of all seafood caught in U.S. waters comes from Alaska.
The NPFMC plays a lead role in the sustainable management of Alaska's billion-dollar fisheries. It is one of eight regional fishery management councils established when Congress passed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, originally enacted in 1976. Alaska's very own Senator Ted Stevens was one of the co-authors of this act. The Magnuson-Stevens Act established the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone from 3-200 nautical miles offshore. This law, reauthorized twice and currently undergoing reauthorization hearings in Congress, is essentially our country's roadmap to sustainable management of our nation's fisheries. It directs NOAA Fisheries and the Councils to work together to get the most out of our fisheries for food and economic well-being, while conserving ecosystem health and fish stocks for continued productivity to benefit future generations of fishing families and coastal communities.
Read the full story at the Capital City Weekly