As per a report from NOAA’s Fisheries Service four fisheries stocks, including Atlantic swordfish, have now been rebuilt to healthy levels. The report also states that these stocks were removed from the overfishing list – those fished at a level that would threaten the stocks. In Status of U.S. Fisheries, NOAA scientists reported that 85 percent of the stocks examined (212 of 250 stocks) were free from overfishing, or not fished at too high a level.
Eric Schwaab, NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service, informed that the report suggest that every year we are coming closure to the ending of overfishing in our waters. He also told that with annual catch limits coming into effect this year, we expect our progress to accelerate. The report shows a continuing trend of year-over-year national improvements.
The report mentioned that most of the stocks are rebuilt such as Atlantic scup, Atlantic black sea bass, and St. Matthew’s Island, Alaska, blue king crab and Atlantic swordfish. Four more stocks – Winter skate and sailfish in the Atlantic, and bocaccio and darkblotched rockfish in the Pacific – had populations at an overfished level in 2008, but began rebuilding in 2009.
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NOAA and the eight regional fishery management councils are required to end overfishing and prevent future overfishing through annual catch limits and accountability measures.
