NOAA’s Fisheries Service is holding a series of public meetings this summer seeking comments on potential changes in the way commercial and recreational fishermen fish the U.S. quotas for swordfish and bluefin tuna in the Atlantic.

In the case of both fish stocks, U.S. fishermen have not been able to catch the U.S. quotas designed to ensure that the stocks are fished sustainably. While these species are managed internationally, the United States manages the domestic part of these fisheries by taking into account the ecosystem and working to reduce bycatch of turtles and other species. This approach increases expenses for U.S. fishermen and makes it more difficult for them to compete in the marketplace with cheaper imports from fishing nations that subsidize their fleets and do not use an ecosystem approach.   Read more...

From a new United Nations report, which contains key contributions from NOAA, we learn that 61 of the world’s 64 large marine ecosystems — large coastal ocean waters adjacent to continents — show a significant increase in sea surface temperatures in the last 25 years, contributing to decreasing fisheries catches in some areas and increasing catches in others.

There is plenty of information on the NOAA site for those interested, but what I found particularly interesting with respect to our own Large Marine Ecosystem – LME#6 covers the SouthEast – are two points:

1. NC’s Albemarle-Pamlico Sound is one of the largest and most productive aquatic systems in NA.
2. The SE US Continental Shelf is one of a few LME’s that have experienced long-term cooling since 1957.
  Read more...

In a vast, turquoise-blue corner of Earth, the forces of nature have crafted a truly amazing underwater tapestry of corals – Coral Triangle, the ‘nursery of the seas’ – an area where tuna is part of the culture and biodiversity is paramount.

Find out more at http://www.panda.org/coraltriangle.

Here is a short video from NBC on the real-world problem of overfishing and how it has depleted at least 3 fisheries around the world of Atlantic salmon, bluefin tuna, and mackerel icefish.