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Guam - The U.S. Department of Commerce has recommended placing Atlantic bluefin tuna on the international endangered species list, due to overfishing. The message for commercial and recreational fisheries in Guam and throughout the Pacific is obvious.
Noting severe declines in bluefin populations in the Atlantic Ocean, Under Secretary of Commerce Dr. Jane Lubchenco announced to the world:
We are sending a clear and definitive statement to the international community that the status quo is not acceptable.
Improving international fishery management and ending illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing are high priorities for the United States government, Congress, commercial and recreational fishermen, and conservationists.
The initiative appears to be right in line with Dr. Lubchenco's duties and stated agenda upon taking the oath of office last spring. As Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, she is also the Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
According to the agency's official description, "NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources."
Managing coastal and marine resources entails making absolutely certain that fish and shellfish populations are maintained at sustainable levels that balance nature with future commerce.
Here are two items on Dr. Lubchencho's agenda that could directly involve and benefit the fishing industry in Guam and the Pacific while protecting end consumers:
Creating jobs through innovation. For example, by incorporating and engaging the fishing community with NOAA's research activities, we strive to not only end overfishing but to support a vibrant fishing industry.
Restoring ocean health and vitality. Safe seafood is what everyone expects to come from our oceans and safe beaches are what people deserve when living or vacationing near or on our coastline.
Statement From Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary Of Commerce For Oceans And Atmosphere And NOAA Administrator, Announcing Support For Listing Atlantic Bluefin Tuna On International Trade Endangered Species List
October 14, 2009 - The United States today announced that it will seek the strongest possible management for the conservation of Atlantic bluefin tuna, a fish which is in serious trouble.
This action has two components.
First, we are sending a clear and definitive statement to the international community that the status quo is not acceptable.
Over the past 40 years, the international body that manages bluefin tuna, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), has overseen a 72 percent decline in the adult population of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock of bluefin tuna and an 82 percent decline in the adult population of the western Atlantic stock.
In recent years, the countries that fish the eastern stock, which spawns in the Mediterranean, have done so at two to three times the sustainable level, causing a significant and rapid decline in the last decade. The status of the western stock, which spawns in the Gulf of Mexico and is fished primarily off the North American coast, has recently stabilized due to the establishment of well-enforced, science-based quotas.
A sustained lack of science-based management for the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock of bluefin tuna, and concerns about slow recovery in the west, have brought us to this point. As a member in ICCAT, the United States calls for strong and definitive action at the November 2009 meeting in Brazil. This includes establishing management measures that end overfishing such as setting responsible science-based quotas, stronger enforcement of these quotas, and closures during spawning periods.
Second, the United States strongly supports Monaco's proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to prohibit international trade of the species. The United States will consider amending or withdrawing support for the Monaco proposal if ICCAT adopts significantly strengthened management and compliance measures.
Improving international fishery management and ending illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing are high priorities for the United States government, Congress, commercial and recreational fishermen, and conservationists.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
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