February 4, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The Fish Stock Sustainability Index is a quarterly index that measures the performance of certain fish stocks. To make sure the index continues to focus on the most important commercial and recreational stocks, we’ve revised the list of included stocks.
The index allows for a quick, clear snapshot of the performance of U.S. fishery management. When the status of a commercially or recreationally important stock improves (e.g., no longer subject to overfishing, not overfished, or rebuilt), the total index score increases.
NOAA Fisheries tracks the status of all international and domestic stocks contained in federal fishery management plans whether or not they meet criteria for inclusion in the FSSI.
When we developed the index in 2005, it included 230 fish stocks and the maximum index score was 920 points. In 2015, we trimmed it to 199 stocks and a maximum score of 1,000.