NOAA Fisheries Protects Valuable Resources

NOAA Fisheries Oceans are the largest and oldest ecosystem on our planet. People have harvested food and other resources from our oceans since prehistory, but with a population now approaching seven billion humans, this seemingly endless food bowl is in danger of being emptied. Many species of fish that once served as staple foods, such as cod, are now scarce in some areas. We must conserve our aquatic resources, and that requires knowledge.

The areas where fished are routinely caught are known as fisheries. Each fishery has its own biomass of fish that can be harvested. When this biomass drops below a sustainable size, the fishery is considered to be over-fished. Over-fishing has endangered a number of species and caused serious consequences to people who depend on fishing for their livelihood. Preventing and correcting this is a complex process.

Ocean science is the key to understanding the relationship between human use of sea-based resources and the continued health of these resources. By study and observation, we can learn how to conserve the existing resources, and even improve the health of the ocean life we depend upon. It is difficult to explore much of the ocean, and so our understanding of how this extensive environment works is incomplete.

Many educational and governmental agencies work to improve our knowledge of the oceans. In the United States, the primary organization devoted to ocean science is NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA is concerned with ocean conservation, navigation, and weather prediction. As part of its work, NOAA operates the National Marine Fisheries Service.

NOAA Fisheries monitors the health of U.S. fisheries. Its objectives are to eliminate over-fishing and maintain healthy fish stocks, and to increase the benefit to the economy from commercial and subsistence fisheries. NOAA coordinates its efforts with the international community, to help improve fish stocks in regions where more than one country is involved.

By monitoring the health of fisheries and issuing catch guidelines, NOAA Fisheries has helped improve the condition of U.S. fisheries. In 2009, NOAA reported that 77% of U.S. fisheries were not over-fished, and 84% were not subject to being over-fished. Four previously over-fished areas were classified as having been rebuilt.

The work NOAA Fisheries does to keep U.S. fisheries at sustainable levels helps reduce pressure on fisheries worldwide. This is a positive step in protecting a vast and necessary resource for all of us.