Dr' William T' Hogarth

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Country Address on Fisheries of the United
States of America
Dr. William T. Hogarth Assistant Administrator
for Fisheries National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
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Reporting Format of U.S. Country Report

• 1. State of Fisheries
• 2. State of Resources
• Fisheries Resources
• Protected Resources
• 3. State of Management
• 4. State of Legislation
• 5. State of Enforcement
• 6. Hot Issues

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NOAA Fisheries has Wide Areas of
Responsibility Light blue shade US EEZ, Orange
Boundary LMEs
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State of Fisheries U.S. Catch of Recent 5
Years Capture Fisheries Catch 4.3 mmt,
Aquaculture 0.4 mmt
Aquaculture 8 of Total Catch
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State of FisheriesU.S. Catch of Major
Species2004 in mmt
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State of FisheriesU.S. Comparison to World
Capture Fisheries Production, 93.2 mmt in 2002
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3rd Highest at 4.9 mmt
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Status of Fishery Stocks

• How do we measure Status of Stocks?
• Two Methods are Used
• Method 1 (normal procedure to determine status
  of stocks viewed from two perspectives)
• a. Situation -- Are we overfishing the Stocks
  ?
• b. State -- Are the Stocks in Ovefished States
  ?

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State of Fishery Resources Status Determinations
of 230 U.S. Stocks viewed from Two Perspectives
at end of 2005
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Yes
No
Unk
Yes
No
No
Unk
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State of Fishery Resources

• How else to measure status of Stocks?
• Method 2 (Use an Index developed in 2005)
• Known as the Fish Stock Sustainability Index
  (FSSI)
• The FSSI is calculated by assigning scores given
  to each stock based on the following rules

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State of Fishery Resources FSSI Scoring
System (Maximum Score for Each Stock is 4.0)

• Rule Score
• 1. Stock that has known status
• Overfishing Situation 0.5
• Overfished State 0.5
• 2. Fishing Mortality Rate below overfishing
  Level 1.0
• 3. Biomass is above overfished Level 1.0
• 4. Biomass is at or above 80 of MSY 1.0

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State of Fishery Resources FSSI Score for 230
U.S. Stocks

• 920 the Maximum Number of Points possible
  for the 230 Stocks
• 509 Score for the end of Year 2005
• With enough time series, the scores would track
  direction scale of changes

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State of Protected Resources

• 1. NOAA Fisheries Service Manages
• -- 61 Species on the ESA List
• -- 43 Species in the Species of Concern List
• --About 175 other Marine Mammal Stocks
• Compile an Annual Report on the Status of these
  Resources for the U.S. Congress each year
• Develop Recovery Plans for Threatened and
  Endangered Species

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State of Protected Resources Report to Congress

• Example Information
• Species and Stocks Status
• Abundance and CV Population Trend Bycatch
  Mortality

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State of Management

• Fisheries Management are through Regional Fishery
  Management Councils
• 8 Regional FMCs
• Most of our Challenges of Fisheries Management
  have already been described in the 2-Part Keynote
  Address by Bill Robinson and Kitty Simonds
• Other challenges will be reported by Rebecca Lent
  on Ecosystems Approaches and by Chris Oliver on
  Habitat Protection
• Management are through MSFCMA and other Attendant
  Laws and Regulations

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State of Legislation

• Two Important Reports
• 1. The Pew Oceans Commission Report to Congress
  -- Americas Living Oceans Charting a Course for
  Sea Change (June 2003)
• 2. U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy An Ocean
  Blueprint for the 21st Century (Sep 2004)
• Result U.S. Ocean Action Plan The Bush
  Administrations Response to the U.S. Commission
  on Ocean Policy (Dec 2004)

U.S. Ocean Action Plan
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State of Legislation

• Sept 19, 2005 The Bush Administration submitted
  a Bill to reauthorize the MSFCMA. The Original
  Act was passed in 1976 that guided fisheries
  management for 30 years
• The new Bill
• Ensures fisheries management decisions are based
  on proven, peer-reviewed scientific information
• Encourages use of market-based management, such
  as dedicated access privileges, to make fishing
  safer and more profitable
• Calls for tougher fines and penalties for
  breaking fisheries laws and requires an end to
  overfishing practices
• Ensures that recreational catches are better
  counted for scientific assessments and management
  purposes.
• Elevates importance of ecosystem-based management
  by authorizing regional fishery management
  councils to develop ecosystem plans.

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NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement State of
Enforcement

• NOAA Fisheries collaborates with the U.S. Coast
  Guard and other State/Federal Law Enforcement
  Agencies
• Have authority to enforce over 37 Statutes and
  Treaties related to the conservation and
  protection of marine resources.
• Operates 6 Divisional Offices and 59 Field
  Offices across the U.S. and Overseas
• Some of our Law Enforcement Activities will be
  Reported by Commander Mike Cerne of the U.S.
  Coast Guard later in this Conference
• NOAA Enforcement Activities remain Coordinated
  and Vigilant

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Hot Issues

• MSFCMA reauthorization that includes
  recommendations of U.S. Action Ocean Plan
• Budgeting Lower budget for bigger Needs
• Ecosystem Approach to Management
• Improving Management
• Improving Partnerships
• Rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina

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End of Presentation