Today NOAA, under the leadership of Dr. Jane Lubchenco, raised the limits on several fisheries in the Northeast. The press release from NOAA is here. This change in policy is important because it allows fishermen to harvest more of certain species that have historically been hurt by overfishing.
Overfishing of natural stocks is a major concern for fisheries managers and fishermen alike. Managers, like the men and women working for NOAA, seek to balance harvesting pressures with the animals' ability to replace itself and maintain a stable population. Fishermen, also try to do this. However, there is disagreement (to say the least) about how much of each species can be removed from the oceans before the stocks begin to decline.
To learn more about which fish species are most at risk of overfishing, visit the Monterey bay Aquarium and read their materials on their seafood watch page. There you will learn which species are most threatened by over-harvesting and which are not. If you choose to eat seafood, this resource is an indispensable tool to making responsible, informed decisions about what to eat.
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