NOAA Status of Stocks 2012
NOAA Fisheries recently announced that six more stocks were declared rebuilt in 2012, bringing the total number of stocks rebuilt to 32 since the start of this millenium. This year’s rebuilt stocks include the Southern Tanner crab, Acadian redfish, windowpane, yellowtail flounder, coho salmon, and pink shrimp.
In addition, overfishing is at an all-time low with 10 additional stocks removed from the overfishing list since last year. The number of overfished stocks also declined in 2012 with an additional four stocks removed from that list. Overall, of the 284 stocks whose status is known, 255 (or 90 percent) are listed as not subject to overfishing. The details behind these record-setting trends are included in NOAA Fisheries’ 2012 Report on the Status of U.S. Fisheries.
This good news on the status of U.S. fisheries comes on the heels of a recent fisheries economics report, which confirmed that fisheries, including commercial and recreational saltwater fishing and all of the associated supply chain businesses, play an enormous role in driving the U.S. economy, generating more than $199 billion in sales and supporting 1.7 million jobs in 2011.
