Fishery Management, NOAA, and Aquaculture

What is NOAA responsible for?

climate monitoring, coastal restoration, conservation, fisheries management

NOAA and fisheries

NOAA provides fishery managers with information to maintain sustainability and enforces laws to ensure accountability

Endangered Species Act

goal to conserve ecosystems endangered species depend on

What is a fishery?

place where fish are caught, whether for commercial reasons or occupational

Fishery Stocks

populations of a species involved in a fishery whose population dynamics are independent of other stocks

Threats to a Stock

changing environmental conditions, disease, unsustainable practices

Challenges to fisheries

water pollution, marine species overexploited

Consequences of Fisheries

bycatch (unintended catches), trawling damage seafloor, major alterations in trophic structure

What is aquaculture?

controlled farming of marine organisms

Some desirable characteristics for aquaculture species

desirability as food, hardiness, disease resistance, high growth rate, readily met habitat requirements, etc.

Benefits of aquaculture

resource efficient food production, creates economic opportunities, producing seafood can alleviate food insecurity, shellfish beds restore waterways, etc.

Magnuson-Stevens Act

managing domestic fisheries, protects fish habitats and prevents overfishing

Marine mammal protection act

policy to prevent population stocks from declining past sustainable levels; also NOAA fisheries responsible for protection of whales, dolphins, seals, etc., that come in contact with their vessels

NEPA

construction programs that integrates environmental values into decision making process