November 19, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, we released a draft Action Plan for Fish Discard and Release Mortality Science. In it, we identified 10 actions we can take to better inform our science, reduce uncertainty, and ultimately explore opportunities for increased fishing opportunities.

Fishermen sometimes catch fish they do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep; a problem known as bycatch. This bycatch is discarded or released overboard. But how many of these fish survive?

The Action Plan will help us fill this important data gap.

NOAA Fisheries worked in consultation with outside experts to identify gaps in our understanding of how to estimate and reduce fish discard and release mortality. These gaps formed the basis for our action plan, which should help guide our scientific research to reduce fish discard and release mortality, improve our estimates of it, and incorporate those improved estimates into our stock assessments and management actions.

Improving our scientific understanding is one way we’re working to address bycatch. NOAA Fisheries is committed to finding cooperative solutions to reduce bycatch and ensure our fisheries remain sustainable.

Your feedback can help with this effort. Please take a few minutes to review the draft and share your comments with us by Friday, December 18.