C 55.302: F 53/8 OurNation's () /NlO cean '■" •"•.■■. ■ Sustaining^ Protecting & Rebuilding OurNatioris Ucean Who is NOAA Fisheries? What Does NOAA Fisheries Do? The National Marine Fisheries Service, or NOAA Fisheries, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Founded in 1871 as the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, the agency was established to investigate and correct food-fish stock declines in New England waters. At that time, little was known about the biology' and populations of marine fish. But the Fish Commission and its successor agencies studied the fish populations and went on to assist the fishing industries in developing new seafood products, business markets and fishing opportunities for commercial and recreational fishermen nationwide. Since then, the agency has become responsible for most living marine resources and their habitat in U.S. waters. These resources, which belong to all U.S. citizens, include many species of fish, lobster, shrimp, crabs, clams, whales, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles, as well as the environment where these animals live, feed and breed. Federal waters start three miles from shore and extend out 200 miles into the ocean, although seaward boundaries of Texas, Puerto Rico and the Gulf coast of Florida extend nine miles from shore. In all, NOAA Fishehes man- ages 3-4 million square miles of ocean and coastal area. Much of the NOAA Fisheries stewardship work involves leading edge research in the biology and pop- ulations status of marine animals and assessing their habitat needs. The agency protects endangered and threatened marine species and their habitat, and con- ducts cooperative marine research with other federal agencies, state fisheries agencies, universities and other organizations. Additiojuilly, NOAA Fisheries measures the social and economic effects of fishing practices and fishery regulations. The agency also enforces fisheries laws and plays an active role in managing fish and marine mammals that swim between, waters of the United States and other countries. The NOAA Fisheries team consists of professionals — including oceanographers, biologists, social scientists, economists, mathematicians, manager's, administrative support personnel, technicians, and enforcement personnel — who work collaboratively with constituents and stake holders in programs to achieve sustainability of our nation's living marine resources. What is the Mission ofNOAA Fisheries? The noaa Fishe? ies st / 'ategic plan contains three goals: Rebuild and maintain sustainable fisheries Promote the recovery of protected species iJC Protect and maintain the health of coastal marine habitats More than one-fifth o\ the world's most productive marine waters lies within U.S territorial waters where in 1996, commercial fishermen brought to port 9.6 billion pounds offish and shellfish, worth $3.5 billion. In addition, Rebuilding and Maintaining Sustainable Fisheries United States citizens to reap the greatest economic and social benefit, including a con- an estimated 17 million people tinuing supply of high-quality enjoy marine recreational fishing, landing almost 300 million pounds offish each year. Many more fish are caught and released as part of a nationwide angler conservation program. These vast fishery resources and their essential habitats can be rapidly destroyed if harvest is not carefully controlled or their important habitat goes unprotected. seafood, and recreational enjoyment. Sound scientific research is the basis for sustainable fisheries. To help ensure productive future harvests, NOAA Fisheries scientists study the life history, stock size, and ecology of economi- cally important fishes, and the effects of climate and ocean processes on their populations. This information is used by But with proper management, fisheries managers to set healthy stocks can be main- tained, and diminished fish populations can be restored to bring greater wealth to the nation's coastal communities. Fisheries that are sustainable over the long term allow annual quotas, or the amount of fish that can be harvested each year. Wbt*. SS sustainable Fisheries Management * The collapsed striped bass fishery off the Atlantic coast has recovered and widespread fishing is once again allowed. 8 The Atlantic group of Spanish mackerel, heavily overfished, is recovering, permitting larger commercial and recreational harvests. * The agency's management of Alaska groundfish has kept the fishery the most productive and wealthiest in U.S. waters. * The tuna and swordfish stocks fished in Western Pacific waters under U.S. jurisdiction remain healthy and yield enormous returns to the nation. * The agency has made significant progress to restore many depleted fish stocks such as New England groundfish, Gulf of Mexico red snapper and Atlantic bluefin tuna. Recovering Protected Species - ^mmmm & ■ ■ ^ku ■- ml -" Ik "■" Many marine animals protected by Federal law, such as whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and main stocks of salmon, are affected by fisheries and other human activities, as well as by environmental change. NOAA Fisheries seeks to reduce the impacts of these activities on protected species while ensuring the viability of valuable fisheries. In fact, NOAA Fisheries is a major force in protecting marine species around the globe. M'B'ffittiHivfMaHMffifflwM Protected PWk Species Management Through international cooperation, tuna caught in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is now "dolphin-safe," ensuring the health of dolphin stocks. The California gray whale, previously hunted to near extinction, has recovered to become the first marine mammal to be removed from the list of endangered species. Endangered Hawaiian monk seals and their essential habi- tat are now carefully guarded to ensure their survival. While many stocks are now under federal protection from threats of loss of habi- tat, overfishing, hatcheries, and hydropower, NMFS is working with federal, state, and private landowners to develop recovery plans for at risk salmon. Innovative technologies have been developed and continually improved to allow endangered sea turtles to escape safely from shrimping nets in the Southeast. Cooperative enforcement programs have been developed with native Americans so that tribes can protect endangered Pacific salmon within their lands. Endangered right whales of New England are protected by a vessel early warning system to prevent collisions and entangle- ments. Satellite tracking and aerial surveys are also used to monitor whales. Protecting and Maintaining coastal Ecosystem habit f' T 4 1^1 such as Health estuaries and reefs, provide food and shelter for marine and anadromous fish and shellfish during important stages of their life cycles. NOAA Fisheries monitors threats to these fragile ecosystems by monitor- ing development, water and sediment contamination, water diversion for industrial agriculture, sedimentation, and dredging and filling activities. The agency is a major force in maintaining the health of marine ecosys- tems by leading research to restore and create fish habitat, reviewing coastal development and water projects that may alter or destroy habitat, and recommending measures to offset development and use impacts. s STEM HEAZTH Management. • Critical coral reef habitat destroyed by ship ground- ings in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is being restored. • Federal and state cooperative efforts are being used to restore, protect, enhance and create Louisiana coastal wetlands that support some of the nation's most productive fish and wildlife resources. • The damage to productive reefs from harvesting these fragile systems for home aquariums has been stopped, and aquaculture for this resource has been encouraged. • Proposed siting for a large port and industry project in Alaska has been steered to areas where fisheries resources will not be affected. • A federal, state and tribal cooperative program is being used to protect and recover sockeye salmon and chinook salmon habi- tat in the Columbia River Basin in the Northwest. • An interagency project will restore more than 600 acres of coastal wetlands in southern California to become a nursery ground for juvenile halibut. How Rules & Regulations Are Made How are the Federal Living Marine Resources Managed? The nation's premier fisheries law, the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act, created eight Regional Fishery Management Councils that \\( irk in partnership with NOAA Fisheries to manage marine fish stocks. The council membership is a balance of commercial and recreational fishermen, marine scientists, and state and federal fisheries managers, who combine their knowledge to prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their respective geographic areas. These plans can limit fishing effort, seasons, fishing gear, the number of fishermen allowed to fish for a certain species, and the total amount oi' fish that can be caught. The federal manage- ment process provides many opportunities for input from fishermen and others con- cerned with the use of these resources. Similarly, NOAA Fisheries manages stocks of marine mammals, sea turtles, and protected salmon through a planning process that also features public comment, and advice from the regional fishery management councils. Fisheries Management Council identifies problem and proposes alternatives, Council holds public hearings and collects comments, Council then reviews, approves fishery management plan or amendment and submits it to Commerce Secretary ^Jj for formal review. '- m Commerce Department publishes proposed rule on plan or amendment and seeks further public comment. Upon further review, Commerce Secretary makes final decision on plan or amendment, NOAA Fisheries implements rules. NOAA Fisheries receives its ocean What Marine Resource Laws Does NOAA Fisheries Follow? stewardship responsibilities under many federal laws, in addition to the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Most important are the Endangered Species Act. which protects species determined to be threatened or endangered; the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which regulates interac- tions with marine mammals; the Lacey Act. which prohibits fish or wildlife transactions and activities that violate state, federal, native American tribal, or foreign laws; the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, which authorizes NOAA Fisheries to collect fisheries data and to advise other agencies on environmental decisions which affect living marine resources; and the Federal Power Act, which allows NOAA Fisheries to minimize effects of dam operations on anadromous fish, such as prescribing fish passageways that bypass dams. Many other statutes, international conventions, and treaties also guide NOAA Fisheries activities. ^5jgg~, ^::'C-~^^^ NOAA Where Is NOAA Fisheries? Fisheries headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, \\ nh fix e regional i offices and supporting science centers in the Northeast, Southeast (including the U.S. Caribbean islands). Southwest (including Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific islands), Northwest, and Alaska. Where Can You Get More Information? Publications: NOAA Fisheries publishes thousands of technical reports and announcements each year. Two important doc- uments are Our Living Oceans, a report on the status of U.S. living marine resources, and Fisheries of the United States, providing commercial and recreational fisheries landings, trade data, and other important fisheries statistics. Information on these and other publications may be obtained from NOAA Fisheries Headquarters or the NOAA Fisheries Internet homepage. NOAA Fisheries Internet Address: NOAA Fisheries http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/ home-page.html — this homepage has links to many NOAA Fisheries offices natioiucide and other marine related sites. NOAA Fisheries Headquarters L315 East-West Highway Silver Spring. MD 20910-3226 301-713-2239 Alaska Region 709 W. ^[U St, Room 453 HO. Box 21668 Juneau, AK 99802-1668 907-586-7221 Alaska Fisheries Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way NE BINC15700, Bldg. 4 Seattle, WA 98115-0070 206-526-4000 Northeast Region One Blackburn Drive Gloucester. MA 01930-2298 978-281-9300 Northeast Fisheries Science Center 166 Water Street Woods Hole, MA 02543-1097 508-495-5123 Northwest Region 7600 Sand Point Way NE BIN C15700, Bldg. 1 Seattle. WA 98115-0070 206-526-6150 Northwest Fisheries Science Center 2~2^ Montlake Blvd. East Seattle, WA 981 12-2097 206-860-3200 Southeast Region 2^21 Executive Center Drive N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 813-570-5301 Southeast Fisheries Science Center 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, FL 33149-1003 305-361-4225 Southwest Region 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200 Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 562-980-4000 Southwest Fisheries Science Center 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, P.O. 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