Sink or Swim time for U.S. Fishery Policy
View Journal Article"Basic first aid teaches us to stop the bleeding first." So writes RFF Fellow James N. Sanchirico and his coauthor Susan Hanna in their comparison of two recent reports on the current state of fisheries management. In their article, Sink or Swim Time for U.S. Fishery Policy, published in the fall issue of Issues in Science and Technology, the authors address the current policies that promote a race for fish at the expense of the long-term health of the oceans.
The reports, issued by the Pew Oceans Commission (POC) and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP), are the first broad overview and analysis of fishery policy since the 1969 Stratton Commission that recommended creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and laid the groundwork for the 1976 Fishery Conservation and Management Act (FCMA).
They agree on basic issues such as the current degraded state of marine ecosystems and its causes, including overfishing, habitat destruction, and land-based pollution. However, the reports differ in many respects in their recommendations to address these problems. Sanchirico and Hanna explain the differences and make their own recommendations about the future of fisheries policy.
