Data and Management Strategies for Recreational Fisheries with Annual Catch Limits

Data and Management Strategies for Recreational Fisheries with Annual Catch Limits

Author: National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine

Publisher:

Published: 2022-04-21

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780309671576

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Marine recreational fishing is a popular activity enjoyed by more than 9 million Americans annually and is a driver of the American ocean-or blue-economy. To ensure that fish populations are not overexploited, the NOAA Fisheries' Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) monitors recreational catch through a variety of in-person, telephone, mail-in, and other surveys. NOAA Fisheries' management of recreational catch also must take into account annual catch limits (ACLs) established to prevent overfishing for all managed species in federal waters. While MRIP has worked to improve recreational catch surveys over the past decade, the surveys were never designed to meet the demands of in-season management of ACLs. In some cases, estimates of harvest have triggered accountability measures such as early season closures and reductions in future recreational ACLs, which have been a source of contention with the recreational fishing community. This report presents approaches for optimizing MRIP data and complementary data for in-season management and considers alternatives for managing recreational fisheries with ACLs to better serve both social and economic management objectives.


Improving Fish Stock Assessments

Improving Fish Stock Assessments

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1998-02-27

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 0309174406

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Ocean harvests have plateaued worldwide and many important commercial stocks have been depleted. This has caused great concern among scientists, fishery managers, the fishing community, and the public. This book evaluates the major models used for estimating the size and structure of marine fish populations (stock assessments) and changes in populations over time. It demonstrates how problems that may occur in fisheries dataâ€"for example underreporting or changes in the likelihood that fish can be caught with a given type of gearâ€"can seriously degrade the quality of stock assessments. The volume makes recommendations for means to improve stock assessments and their use in fishery management.


The Status of US Fisheries 1997-2013

The Status of US Fisheries 1997-2013

Author: Jonah Young

Publisher: Ice Press

Published:

Total Pages: 954

ISBN-13:

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This book is a collection of annual reports on the status of US Fisheries to Congress for the period of 1997-2013 written by NOAA Fisheries (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov).


Fishing Vessel Safety

Fishing Vessel Safety

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1991-02-01

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 0309043794

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In response to a continuing high loss of commercial fishing vessels and crews, the U.S. Congress has mandated development of new safety requirements for the industry. This volume provides a blueprint for an integrated national safety program that responds realistically to industry conditions, with priority on the most cost-effective alternatives. Fishing Vessel Safety addresses the role of the U.S. Coast Guard and the fishing industry and evaluates such safety measures as vessel inspection and registration, and the training and licensing of fishermen. It explores vessel condition, the role of human behavior, the problem of weather prediction, the high cost of insurance, and more.


The Use of Limited Access Privilege Programs in Mixed-Use Fisheries

The Use of Limited Access Privilege Programs in Mixed-Use Fisheries

Author: National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine

Publisher:

Published: 2022-05-05

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780309672979

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A central goal of U.S. fisheries management is to control the exploitation of fish populations so that fisheries remain biologically productive, economically valuable, and socially equitable. Although the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act led to many improvements, a number of fish populations remained overfished and some fisheries were considered economically inefficient. In response, Congress amended the Act in 2006 to allow additional management approaches, including Limited Access Privilege Programs (LAPPs) in which individuals receive a permit to harvest a defined portion of the total allowable catch for a particular fish stock. This report examines the impacts of LAPPs on mixed-use fisheries, defined as fisheries where recreational, charter, and commercial fishing sectors target the same species or stocks. The report offers recommendations for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Regional Fishery Management Councils (the Councils) who oversee and manage federally regulated fisheries. For each of the five mixed-use fisheries included in the report, the committee examined available fisheries data and analyses and collected testimony from fishery participants, relevant Councils, and NMFS regional experts through a series of public meetings.