May 19, 2009
NOAA declares four fish stocks fully rebuilt
In today’s 2008 Status of U.S. Fisheries report to Congress, NOAA gave notice of four different fish being cleared from overfishing:
- Atlantic bluefish,
- Gulf of Mexico king mackerel, and
- two different stocks of monkfish in the Atlantic
While that of course is good news for long-range fishing and our marine habitat, four others appear to be overfished at the same time:
- thorny skate,
- Atlantic blacknose shark, and
- Atlantic shortfin mako shark
These were added to the list of those being fished unsustainably just this year, and a fourth stock, Gulf of Mexico pink shrimp, was also listed as subject to overfishing but it’s still being reviewed.
With these fish being replenished, it proves NOAA officials are doing the best they can for all of us – the fish, the fisherman, and all my fellow seafood lovers out there.
