NOAA Status Of The Stocks 2014

7/21/2019 NOAA Status Of The Stocks 2014

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Status of Stocks 2014Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisherie

Overfishing and Overfished NumbersHit All-Time Lows

Status Listings

Overfishing & Overfished Lis

Overfishing: 308 stocks with known status:

Overfished: 228 stocks with known status

282 (92%) stocks are not

on the overfishing list

26 (8%) stocks are on

the overfishing list

191 (84%) stocks are not

on the overfished list

37 (16%) stocks are on

the overfished list

NOAA Fisheries is pleased to present the 2014Report to Congress on the Status o U.S. Fisheries,as required by the Magnuson-Stevens FisheryConservation and Management Act (MSA). As a

result o the combined efforts o NOAA Fisheries,the regional fishery management councils(councils), and all our partners, the number ostocks listed as subject to overfishing or overfishedcontinues to decline and is at an all-time low.


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By the end o 2014, just 26 stocks were on theoverfishing list and 37 stocks were on the overfishedlist. Both lists are at all-time lows. Te number o stocks

rebuilt since 2000 increased to 37.NOAA Fisheries tracks 469 managed stocks and stockcomplexes in 46 fishery management plans, or FMPs.In 2014, six stocks were removed rom the overfishinglist and our were added. wo stocks came off theoverfished list, and no new ones were added. Specificchanges to the status o our nations managed marinefish stocks in 2014 include:

2013 2014

28 (9%) onoverfishing

list

26 (8%) onoverfishing

list

40 (17%) onoverfished

list

37 (16%) onoverfished

list

34 stockson

rebuilt list

37 stockson

rebuilt list

The Year in Review

Snowy grouper - Southern Atlantic CoastAlbacore - North AtlanticHaddock - Gulf of MaineGag grouper - South AtlanticGulf of Mexico Jacks ComplexBluefin tuna - Western Atlantic

Greater amberjack - Gulf of MexicoGray triggerfish - Gulf of MexicoPuerto Rico Scups and Porgies ComplexPuerto Rico Wrasses Complex1

Albacore - North AtlanticGag grouper - Gulf of Mexico

NO stocks added.

Overfishing ListAddedRemoved

Overfished ListAddedRemoved2

-Gag grouper - Gulf of Mexico

.

Rebuilt List

Gag grouper - Gulf of MexicoGolden tilefish - Mid-Atlantic Coast

Butterfish - Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras

Details on all managed stocks available online: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sa/fisheries_eco/status_o_fisheries

1. Tis complex was ormerly listed as unknown and the council now has the inomation needed to manage it.2. Te Caribbean grouper unit 4 complex, previously listed as overfished, was consolidated with other groupers into a single complex.Te status o this consolidated complex is unknown.
http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisheries


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Continual Progress

Ecosystem-based fishery management is central to ourmission to sustainably manage fisheries. Ecosystem-

based fishery management is an approach to fisheriesmanagement that is inormed by science to protectand sustain diverse and productive ecosystems andthe benefits they provide. It is an integrated approach,incorporating the entire ecosystem, including humans,into resource management decisions, and is guided byadaptive management.

Ecosystem-based fisheries management strengthens ourability to understand and address complex ecosystem

Improving Stocks - Rebuilding Fisheries

When a stock is determined to be overfished, therelevant council must implement a rebuilding plan.A typical rebuilding plan allows fishing to continue,but at a reduced level so that the stock will increaseto its target level and can produce the maximumsustainable yield (MSY)the largest long-term average

catch that can be taken rom a stock under prevailingenvironmental and fishery conditions.

Forty-six stocks and stock complexes are currentlyunder rebuilding plans. NOAA Fisheries monitorsrebuilding stocks to ensure they increase inabundance to their target level that supports MSY,and makes adjustments to plans i needed. Tirteeno the rebuilding stocks are no longer overfishedand continue to rebuild toward their target. Currentinormation on fishing mortality and biomass trendsor stocks in rebuilding plans is available online:

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sa/fisheries_eco/status_o_fisheries.

Ending Overfishing

In 2007, Congress enacted a requirement to useannual catch limits (ACLs) to end and preventoverfishing. Te use o ACLs has been successul to dateand stock assessments show that the number o stockssubject to overfishing continues to decline. O the 41stocks listed as subject to overfishing in 2007, only 10domestic and our international stocks are still on the

overfishing list. NOAA Fisheries has limited ability tocontrol overfishing o international stocks because theyare fished in international waters and they are exemptrom ACL requirements. An additional 12 stocks havebeen added to the overfishing list since 2007, hal as aresult o first-time stock assessments. NOAA Fisheriesand the councils are actively monitoring how well theACLs control catch and are working to prevent urtheroverfishing.

interactions in decisions we make about: How many fish to catch

Where and when to catch them Who can catch them

Tis approach helps us end overfishing and rebuildstocks or the long term benefit o the nation byhelping us respond to, anticipate, and manage impactsto fisheries rom various components o the ecosystem

All fishery management councils are implementingecosystem-based fisheries management in some ormwithin their fisheries.

What is ecosystem-based fishery management?
http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisheries


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Western Pacific:

Striped marlin - Central Western Pacific1

Seamount Groundfish Complex - Hancock Seamount

Pacific and Western Pacific:

Pacific bluefin tuna - Pacific1

Bigeye tuna - Pacific1

Pacific:

Canary rockfishPacific Ocean perch

Yelloweye rockfish

North Pacific:

Blue king crab - Pribilof Islands

Pacific:

ific1

onoverfish

list

Stock Statu

The U.S. is the world leader in sustainable fisheries management.

Click here for more information on sustainable seafood.

1. Stock is fished by U.S. and international fleets.
http://fishwatch.gov/http://fishwatch.gov/http://www.fishwatch.gov/


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New England:Atlantic cod - Georges Bank

Atlantic cod - Gulf of Maine

Windowpane - Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank

Witch flounderYellowtail flounder - Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine

Yellowtail founder - Georges Bank

Thorny skate - Gulf of Maine

Atlantic halibut

Atlantic salmon

Atlantic wolffish

Ocean pout

Winter flounder - Southern New England

Winter skate - Georges Bank/Southern New Eng

Highly Migratory Species:Blacknose shark - Atlantic

Blue marlin - Atlantic1

Dusky shark - Atlantic

White marlin - Atlantic1

Scalloped hammerhead - Atlantic

Porbeagle shark - Atlantic

Sandbar shark - Atlantic

Bluefin tuna - West Atlantic1

Sailfish - West Atlantic1

South Atlantic:

Red snapper

Blueline tilefish

Speckled hind

Warsaw grouper

Red porgy

Snowy grouper

Caribbean:

Puerto Rico Scups and Porgies Complex

Puerto Rico Wrasses Complex

Goliath grouper

Nassau grouper

Queen conch

Gulf of Mexico:

Greater amberjack

Gray triggerfish

Hogfish

Red snapper

Gulf of Mexico:

Greater amberjack

Mid-Atlantic:

None

by U.S. Region

on

list


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2011 2012 2013

5

0

10

15

20

25

Percentageo

fStocks

2007 2008 2009 2010

% on overfishedlist

% on overfishinglist

Overfishing

& Overfished

Te MSA requires that FMPs speciy objective and measurablecriteria, or reerence points, or determining when a stock is subjec

to overfishing or overfished. A scientific analysis o the abundanceand composition o a fish stock, called a stock assessment, evaluatethe stock against those reerence points. A stock assessmenttypically undergoes peer review by independent scientists beore itis accepted as the best scientific inormation available. Generally,we use stock assessments and the reerence points to determine i astock is subject to overfishing or overfished.

Inormation rom the stock assessment is also used by the councilsto recommend the annual catch limit (ACL) or the stock. ACLsare designed to end and prevent overfishing. While catch limits areset annually, assessments are usually done less requently. NOAAFisheries generally uses the stock assessment to determine i thecatch limit ended or prevented overfishing. Sometimes, a stock willremain on the overfishing list until an assessment demonstrates it ino longer subject to overfishing, even i catch stays below its ACL.Tis can cause a delay in removing stocks rom the overfishing list,several years afer the implementation o ACLs.

The Science BehindStock Status

Stock Trends 2007 - 2014

Tis report ocuses upon thesetwo important concepts in fisherymanagement. But just what do they

mean? Here are some o the mainconcepts covered in this report:

Maximum sustainable yield, or MSY,is the largest long-term average catchthat can be taken rom a stock underprevailing environmental and fisheryconditions.

A stock that is subject to overfishinghas a harvest rate higher than the ratethat produces its MSY.

A stock that is overfishedhas apopulation size that is too low and thatwould jeopardize the stocks ability toproduce its MSY.

A rebuilt stock is one that waspreviously overfished and that hasincreased in abundance to the targetpopulation size that supports its MSY.

Whats the difference?

As a harvest rate, overfishing is a directresult o fishing activities. Allowedto continue unchecked, overfishingis associated with many negativeoutcomes, including a depletedpopulation. Current managementpracticessuch as annual catch limitsand accountability measuresreducethe likelihood o this happening.

As a population size, overfished

can be the result o many actors,including overfishing, and also habitatdegradation, pollution, climatechange, and disease. While overfishingis sometimes the main cause o anoverfished stock, these other actorscan also play a role and may affect thestocks ability to rebuild.


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Read more about the status o our stocks and how NOAA Fisheries helps ensure sustainable fisheries.

NOAA Fisheries Home Page: www.fisheries.noaa.gov

Stock status updates - See the latest quarterly update and supporting documents: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sa/fisheries_eco/status_o_fisheries

Rebuilt Stocks

2014

ButterfishGolden TilefishGag Grouper

Gulf of Maine toCape Hatteras

Sustained

management andimproved science

that considers shifting

environmental

conditions, includingclimate change.

The latest assessment

shows the stock ableto support a

substantial fishery.

The Mid-Atlantic

Fishery Management

Council increased

annual catch limits toroughly 20,000 metric

tons.

Seafood companiesare working to

develop new markets,

both here and inJapan.

Mid-Atlantic Coast

Managementmeasures include

gear restrictions and

annual catch limitsallocated to

individual fishermen.

Total U.S. landings

valued at over $7.8

million in 2012.Expected to increase

with improved stock

health.

As a result of

rebuilding, fishermen

and dealers canexpect a more

predictable fishery

and provide a steady

supply of seafood toconsumers.

Gulf of Mexico

Management

measures includerevised catch limits,

minimum fish sizes,

and area

management.

The 2013 commercialharvest of nearly 1.2

million pounds of

South Atlantic andGulf of Mexico gag

was valued at

$4.7 million.

As a result of

rebuilding, we canconsider increasing

the annual catch

limits for this stock.

$$$
http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisherieshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/


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U.S. fisheries play an important role in the nationseconomy. Fisheries provide opportunities orcommercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing, andsustainable seaood or the nation. NOAA Fisheriesreports in the 2012 Fisheries Economics o the UnitedStatesthat commercial and recreational fisheriescontribute $199 billion per year to the U.S. economyand support 1.7 million jobs. Te MSA provides astrong science-based approach to realize these benefitsby ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks. Stocks attarget and rebuilt levels also contribute to an overallhealthy ecosystem and increase the resilience o ourfisheries in the context o changing ocean conditionsand complex ecosystem interactions.

Te progress we have made in 2014 to end overfishingand rebuild stocks demonstrates that our science-based approach to determining stock status andmanaging or sustainability is working. o strengthenthe management process that guides our actions toend and prevent overfishing, we recently proposedrevisions to guidelines that assist the eight councilsand NOAA Fisheries in developing rebuilding plans,setting annual catch limits, and developing effectivefishery management plans. Te proposed revisions set

the stage to urther improve fisheries management toensure our stocks are sustained or uture generations.

Fishery management decisions incorporate complexecosystem inormation. Anticipating and respondingto those interactions and changes to our oceanecosystems will be a particular challenge in theuture. NOAA Fisheries and the councils are alreadyimplementing measures to address issues relatedto minimizing bycatch, addressing orage fish, andprotecting habitat.

However, NOAA Fisheries also recognizes the

particular and timely need to strengthen the resilienceo our fisheries to climate change impacts and tostrengthen our use o ecosystem-based fisheriesmanagement approaches. Te draf NOAA FisheriesClimate Science Strategywill improve the productionand use o climate-related inormation in fisheriesmanagement decisions. Te strategy proposes stepsthe agency should take to increase the production,delivery, and use o climate-related inormation tomarine and coastal resource managers, resource users,and others at regional and national scales.

Tese efforts are just two examples o how NOAAFisheries is looking to the uture to ensure thelong-term sustainability o our fisheries and thecommunities that depend on them. We look orwardto working with Congress, the councils, our statepartners, and other stakeholders to build on theseefforts and identiy other opportunities to urtherstrengthen the long-term biological and economicsustainability o our nations fisheries.

Managing Sustainablyin a Changing World

U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Penny Pritzker

Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration and Undersecretary of Commerce

Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D.

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries

Eileen Sobeck

April 2015

www.fisheries.noaa.gov
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics_2012http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics_2012http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/laws_policies/national_standards/ns1_revisions.htmlhttp://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/climate/national-call-for-commentshttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/climate/national-call-for-commentshttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/laws_policies/national_standards/ns1_revisions.htmlhttp://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics_2012http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics_2012

Documents

NOAA Status Of The Stocks 2014