June 4, 2018 — The number of fish stocks in the U.S. classified as “overfished” has reached an all-time low.
That was the headline of the annual “Status of Stocks” report compiled by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and released to Congress on May 17. The report found only 35 of 235 fishing stocks are overfished—the lowest number since the agency began tracking fish populations in 2000.
The news was hailed as proof, from sectors of the fishing and boating industries, that the time has now come to roll back certain fisheries regulations they view as overly burdensome and outdated.
Among the ideas being discussed are tossing out requirements that fisheries management decisions be based on peer-reviewed science, and instead giving Regional Fisheries Management Councils more “flexibility” in determining how fish stocks are divided between recreational and commercial interests.