Fact Sheets

• America's Ocean Fish Populations: Protect Our Right to Know if This Public Resource is Well Managed

  • Sep 25, 2012, 15:50 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Americans have a right to know how our ocean fish are being managed and the impacts of fishing on ocean wildlife, but that right is under attack in a new fisheries data proposal from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service.More

   

• Overfishing Strips Tens of Millions from Southeast Economy

  • Sep 04, 2012, 08:30 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  An analysis commissioned by the Pew Environment Group reveals that historic overfishing resulted in the loss of tens of millions of dollars in recreational fishing expenditures annually from 2005 to 2009.More

   

• Setting Annual Catch Limits

  • Jul 02, 2012, 13:45 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  The annual catch limit requirement is a cornerstone of U.S. fisheries management and has put our nation’s fish stocks on the path to sustainability. More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act: Investing in the Gulf of Mexico's Fisheries and Fishermen

  • Apr 04, 2012, 15:40 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign

  The Gulf of Mexico is home to historic fishing communities and some of the nation’s most iconic and valuable fisheries. Funding through FIA could help restore the Gulf’s fish and fisheries by addressing critical needs.More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act: Investing in the South Atlantic's Fisheries and Fishermen

  • Apr 04, 2012, 15:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  The sheer diversity of fish in the South Atlantic region has attracted commercial fishermen and anglers alike for decades. Funding through the Fisheries Investment Act could help restore the South Atlantic’s fish and fisheries by addressing critical needs.More

   

• Stay the Course with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and Rebuild Our Fisheries

  • Mar 16, 2012, 16:45 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Thirty-six years after enactment of the law that is now known as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), we are turning a corner on ending overfishing (taking fish faster than they can reproduce) and rebuilding our nation’s valuable fish populations.More

   

• Rebuilding U.S. Fisheries: Success Stories

  • Mar 16, 2012, 16:00 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Efforts to protect and rebuild America’s ocean fish are working. Rebounding fish populations create jobs, support coastal economies, repair damaged marine ecosystems, increase recreational fishing opportunities, and bring back fresh, local seafood.More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act

  • Mar 13, 2012, 11:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), Scott Brown (R-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Fisheries Investment Act (S. 2184) on March 12.More

   

• U.S. Ocean Fish Stocks: An Excellent Return on Investment

  • Mar 12, 2012, 16:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  U.S. ocean fish stocks are one of the nation’s most valuable natural resources, and with prudent stewardship, they have significant potential for growth and return on investment.More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act: Allocations

  • Mar 12, 2012, 11:55 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  The Fisheries Investment Act would redirect existing duties on imported fish and fish products to programs that will protect and increase the value of America’s ocean fish and the jobs they support. More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act: Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic's Fisheries and Fishing Communities

  • Mar 12, 2012, 11:35 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic

  With most of the region’s federally-managed fish stocks at healthy levels, the Mid-Atlantic is now enjoying the benefits of improved management of its commercial and recreational fisheries. Funding through FIA could help the Mid Atlantic build upon its management successes and address needs going forward.More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act: Investing in New England's Fisheries and Fishermen

  • Mar 12, 2012, 11:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish

  New England is home to historic fishing communities and some of the nation’s most valuable fisheries. Funding through the Fisheries Investment Act could help restore New England’s fish and fisheries by addressing critical needs.More

   

• The Magnuson-Stevens Act: A Bipartisan Legacy of Success

  • Jan 12, 2012, 08:50 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Since 1976, when what is now called the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) was first signed into law, Republicans and Democrats have agreed that conserving America's ocean fish makes good economic and environmental sense. Today, Congress should continue this tradition of bipartisan support for the MSA and preserve its legacy of success by opposing any efforts to weaken the law.More

   

• S. 1916: A Recipe for Overfishing and Economic Loss

  • Dec 16, 2011, 10:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Congress should reject S. 1916 because it risks overfishing just as our nation is on the cusp of ending this pernicious problem. Many of America's ocean fish populations are in trouble today because of past policies that allowed overfishing – taking fish faster than they can reproduce. These failed policies prioritized short-term interests over the long-term health of our ocean fish, resulting in lost U.S. jobs, decreased recreational fishing opportunities, and damaged ocean ecosystems.More

   

• Don't Take the Bait!

  • Nov 29, 2011, 08:45 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Myths have persisted for years about the impact of recreational fishing on ocean fish populations and how to manage that impact. Most recently, these myths have resurfaced as justification for a new bill, S.1916/H.R. 2304, the Fishery Science Improvement Act. Don't let these myths disguise the fact that this legislation would put some of America's most valuable and vulnerable ocean fish populations at risk.More

   

• H.R. 1646: A Costly Mistake for America's Fish and Fishermen

  • Nov 29, 2011, 08:45 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Thanks to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the law that governs management of our valuable ocean fish populations, we are now turning a corner on our decades-long effort to end overfishing (taking fish faster than they can reproduce) and rebuild depleted fish populations.More

   

• Managing Fish and Fishing in America's Oceans

  • Aug 08, 2011, 12:55 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  Ocean fish have served as a valuable source of nourishment, employment and recreation in the United States for centuries.More

   

• New Study: Overfishing Cost Southeast Commercial Fishermen $15.2 M in Just One Year

  • Jul 25, 2011, 09:20 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  An analysis commissioned by the Pew Environment Group shows commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic lost $12.3 million and $2.9 million respectively in 2009 due to population declines in important species, such as red snapper and gag grouper. Revenues could have been between 16 and 32 percent higher if several fish populations were at healthier levels.More

   

• Sunken Millions: The Hidden Cost of Overfishing to Commercial Fishermen

  • Jul 25, 2011, 09:20 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Overfishing results in significant economic losses. In the United States, chronic overfishing has depleted more than 20 percent of the country's most commercially and recreationally valuable ocean fish populations, including some species of cod, flounder, snapper and grouper. The biological consequences of unsustainable fishing have been studied extensively, but the economic impacts are seldom quantified.More

   

• Science-Based Management of America's Ocean Fish: A Growing Success Story

  • Jul 25, 2011, 09:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  The United States is on the verge of completing a new science-based management system for ocean fish that will ensure sustainable fisheries. Congress should support managers as they achieve this goal, which will deliver an enduring legacy of healthy fish populations and thriving fishing businesses.More

   

• Overfishing Cost New England Fishermen at Least $149 Million in 2009

  • Jul 25, 2011, 09:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish

  Because of decades of overfishing—catching fish faster than they can reproduce—in 2009, commercial fishermen in New England who targeted species such as cod, flounder, halibut and other bottom-dwelling "groundfish" lost at least $149 million and realized just 21 percent of potential revenues.More

   

• H.R. 2304: A Bill that Would Weaken Fisheries Science and Jeopardize Efforts to Prevent Overfishing

  • Jul 21, 2011, 11:45 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Congress should reject H.R. 2304 because it would undermine the progress we've made preventing overfishing for some of America's most valuable and vulnerable ocean fish populations.More

   

• H.R. 2304: A Bill that Would Weaken Fisheries Science and Undermine Efforts to Prevent Overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico

  • Jul 21, 2011, 11:35 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign

  Congress should reject the misnamed and short-sighted "Fishery Science Improvement Act" by investing in fisheries data collection and monitoring programs to ensure healthy populations of important Gulf species such as cobia and vermillion snapper.More

   

• H.R. 2304: A Bill that Would Weaken Fisheries Science and Undermine Efforts to Prevent Overfishing in the Pacific

  • Jul 21, 2011, 11:05 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign

  The misnamed “Fishery Science Improvement Act” would jeopardize the goal to ensurse sustainable fishing for all federally-managed ocean fish populations and put economically and ecologically important species such as Dover sole and northern anchovy at risk.More

   

• H.R. 2304: A Bill that Would Weaken Fisheries Science and Undermine Efforts to Prevent Overfishing in the South Atlantic

  • Jul 21, 2011, 10:40 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the federal law that governs management of our nation's ocean fish, requires managers to set science-based annual catch limits to ensure sustainable fishing for all federally-managed ocean fish populations by the end of 2011. The misnamed "Fishery Science Improvement Act" would jeopardize this goal and put economically and environmentally important species such as red porgy and gray triggerfish at risk.More

   

• Remembering Cod

  • Jun 10, 2011, 11:10 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish

  Most old fishermen talk about the big ones that got away. But old cod fishermen are different. They relive the decades when they pulled enormous loads of thick, white-fleshed bottom fish out of the Atlantic almost every day.More

   

• The Magnuson-Stevens Act: Helping Restore New England's Valuable Fish Populations

  • Jun 07, 2011, 12:05 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish

  After decades of overfishing, the storied New England groundfish fishery appears to be on the road to recovery thanks in large part to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Congress should support this success by rejecting any attemps to weaken the MSA.More

   

• New NOAA Catch Share Policy Shows that Design Matters

  • Dec 10, 2010, 15:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Catch share programs can improve fisheries  environmental and economic  performance and management, but only if properly designed and monitored.More

   

Reports

• The Law That's Saving American Fisheries: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act

  • May 06, 2013, 10:20 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Atlantic Menhaden Campaign, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, U.S. Caribbean Fish Conservation Campaign , Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  A generation of determined, farsighted commercial and recreational fishermen, marine scientists, and legislators have shaped the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law that governs American fisheries.More

   

• Economic Costs of Historic Overfishing on Recreational Fisheries: South Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico Regions

  • Sep 04, 2012, 08:30 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  This study examines an important component of the costs of overfishing in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions — recreational catch losses from historic overfishing and their associated economic impacts.More

   

• The Hidden Cost of Overfishing to Commercial Fishermen

  • Jul 25, 2011, 09:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish, Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  A new report commissioned by the Pew Environment Group examines the impact of chronic overfishing in terms of lost revenue to commercial fishermen in three U.S. regions with the highest levels of overfishing. In 2009 alone, commercial fishermen in New England, the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions that targeted depleted ocean fish populations lost $164.2 million and realized just 25 percent of potential revenue.More

   

• Design Matters: Making Catch Shares Work

  • Nov 03, 2009, 11:20 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish, U.S. Caribbean Fish Conservation Campaign , Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  Catch shares are fishery management programs that allocate fishing privileges in the form of a specific portion of the total annual catch quota.More

   

• Investing in Our Future: The Economic Case for Rebuilding Mid-Atlantic Fish Populations

  • Jul 23, 2009, 11:20 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic

  Rebuilding depleted fish populations must be a priority, both for the health of our ocean ecosystems and our coastal communities. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law that governs our ocean fisheries, supports this by mandating an end to overfishing and rebuilding depleted fish populations within 10 years, if biologically possible.More

   

Other Resources

• Fishing Forges Connections Across Generations

  • Jun 18, 2013, 16:05 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Father’s Day prompted many recreational anglers up and down the Eastern seaboard to reflect on their experiences fishing with their dads, sons or daughters, and their desire to pass on healthy and sustainable fisheries to their children and grandchildren to provide opportunities for their own memories.More

   

• Top 10 Takeaways from the National Fish Summit

  • May 24, 2013, 11:50 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Atlantic Menhaden Campaign, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, U.S. Caribbean Fish Conservation Campaign , Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  The May 2013 Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries Conference in Washington, D.C. mostly addressed critical issues that affect every person who eats seafood, drops a line in the water on a weekend getaway or makes money from fish. Fish policy is serious business, and here are key conference takeaways from The Pew Charitable Trusts for the record.More

   

• Limiting Public Data on Our Nation's Fisheries

  • Mar 13, 2013, 11:10 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  This week marks the annual event known as Sunshine Week, when media outlets and organizations around the country focus in on the critical importance of the public’s right to understand and participate in our government. This issue hits close to home as Pew works to restore America’s ocean ecosystems and the fish that depend on them.More

   

• Letter Regarding Proposed Rule to Revise Regulations Governing the Confidentiality of Information Submitted Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act

  • Oct 19, 2012, 15:05 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  A letter signed by 77 conservation organizations, open government groups, and businesses, urges the National Marine Fisheries Service to withdraw and redraft a proposed rule that would stifle public participation in the management of public trust ocean resources, including depleted fish populations and protected species.More

   

• Letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service Regarding National Standard 1 Guidelines

  • Oct 08, 2012, 15:45 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  On Oct. 8, 2012, Lee Crockett, Pew's director of U.S. Fisheries Campaigns, sent the following letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding the advance notice of proposed rulemaking for the National Standard 1 Guidelines.More

   

• The Bottom Line: Historic Moment for Menhaden

  • Oct 02, 2012, 08:50 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Atlantic Menhaden Campaign

  Menhaden numbers have plunged nearly 90 percent over the past 25 years, and the regulators responsible for their management will soon make a critical decision.More

   

• New Nationwide Protections for Important Fish

  • Sep 06, 2012, 09:55 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Protecting the Ocean Food Web, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic

  Earlier this summer, regional U.S. fishery management councils in the mid-Atlantic, New England, and Pacific Northwest advanced groundbreaking protections for forage fish in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.More

   

• Progress Made: The Pew Environment Group Celebrates Recent Conservation Victories

  • Aug 01, 2012, 10:55 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Global Ocean Legacy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic, Global Ocean Legacy - Coral Sea, Global Shark Conservation, International Boreal Conservation Campaign, Outback Australia, Outback Australia - South West Marine

  It’s been a busy few months for the Pew Environment Group, with our campaigns racking up important victories all over the globe. Our teams were active in securing new protections for little fish in the United States, sharks in Venezuela, huge tracts of land in Canada, and vast swaths of the Australian ocean.More

   

• Historic Anniversary for Fishing in America's Oceans

  • Jul 01, 2012, 08:50 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Five years ago this month, President George W. Bush signed legislation revising and reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act into law, requiring strong measures to end and prevent overfishing.More

   

• The Fish You Need to Know

  • Jun 06, 2012, 14:35 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Atlantic Menhaden Campaign, Protecting the Ocean Food Web, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  (Trust Magazine) Save the whales? Check. Save the sharks? Check. Save the menhaden? Save the what? More

   

• Recipes for Success

  • May 23, 2012, 08:55 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  2012-05-23 The federal law that sets conservation requirements for ocean fisheries, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) has not only made a positive impact on U.S. fish populations; it has also made a difference to some of the country’s most successful chefs and restaurant ownMore

   

• The Latest: A Step Forward for Fish and Coastal Communities

  • Mar 16, 2012, 16:05 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Read The Latest, Pew Environment Group's newsletter. This edition features an expedition to the Pitcairn Islands, an opportunity to help river herring, and good news from Capitol Hill.More

   

• Make Fisheries Funding a U.S. Priority!

  • Aug 25, 2011, 11:50 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Americans are speaking out and asking Congress to invest in our ocean fish populations.More

   

• Good News for Summer Flounder

  • Aug 17, 2011, 13:30 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  It's no fluke. ... The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council increased the summer flounder quota for the fourth year in a row.More

   

• Campaign Ad: Protect Our Investment - Don't Weaken the Magnuson-Stevens Act

  • Apr 13, 2011, 11:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  On the 35th annivesary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pew Environment ran the following ad in support of renewed bipartisan commitment to America's ocean legacy.More

   

• Meet the Experts: Lee Crockett, Director, Federal Fisheries Policy

  • Apr 08, 2011, 10:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Meet the Pew Environment Group's Federal Fisheries Policy Director Lee Crockett.More

   

• Success Story: Rebuilding America's Fisheries with One Single Act

  • Apr 07, 2011, 15:10 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish, U.S. Caribbean Fish Conservation Campaign , South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign

  In honor of the 35th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, a law that is helping to rebuild America’s depleted fish populations, Pew reviews some remarkable successes.More

   

• Restoring the Bounty of Our Oceans

  • Feb 14, 2011, 11:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Fish are essential to life in the world’s oceans. They are the predators or prey of virtually every creature that swims with them or flies above the sea.More

   

• PEG's Comments on Draft NOAA Catch Share Policy

  • Apr 08, 2010, 15:25 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  The key to a successful catch shares program is how it is designed and implemented. More

   

• Presidential Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government

  • Jan 21, 2009, 12:15 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  On January 21, 2009, President Obama issued a memorandum on transparency and open government.More

   

Compilations

• Join the Fishermen's Conservation Corps

  • Apr 25, 2013, 13:10 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Are you an angler who cares about fish conservation? Do you enjoy fishing and want to ensure that healthy fisheries are available for generations to come? If you are a commercial guide or an individual angler, your voice is important to how our country’s fisheries are managed!More

   

• The Fisheries Investment Act

  • Apr 05, 2012, 12:10 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  The Fisheries Investment Act is legislation that would provide dedicated funding to support the research, monitoring and management programs critical to sustaining ocean fish resources and fishing communities.More

   

• The Bottom Line

  • Jan 09, 2012, 14:40 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, U.S. Caribbean Fish Conservation Campaign , Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign, Global Tuna Conservation, Gulf Surface Longline Campaign

  “The Bottom Line,” explores fisheries management issues, while taking on other related subjects to provide a more in-depth look at the issues facing our ocean fish. With this blog, we hope to continue these informative discussions, cut through the rhetoric, and encourage more people to take an interest in ocean fish conservation.More

   

• H.R. 2304: A Bill that Would Weaken Fisheries Science and Jeopardize Efforts to Prevent Overfishing

  • Jul 21, 2011, 10:55 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy

  Congress should reject H.R. 2304 because it would undermine the progress we've made preventing overfishing for some of America's most valuable and vulnerable ocean fish populations.More

   

• Overfishing 101

  • Apr 25, 2011, 10:40 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign, Atlantic Herring Campaign, Conserving New England Fish, U.S. Caribbean Fish Conservation Campaign , Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign, Campaign to End Overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic Fish Conservation Campaign, Global Tuna Conservation

  Fishermen, conservationists and scientists have actively debated how best to manage our ocean fish populations for decades. But with so much at stake, it's critical that as many Americans as possible be actively engaged in this discussion. Lee Crockett's “Overfishing 101” blog series aims to do just that by providing a new outlet, in which we hope to open up the discussion to the larger public, cut through the rhetoric and encourage more people to participate in marine fish conservation.More

   

Videos

• 

  Cod: The Fish that Made New England

  • Jul 25, 2011, 09:20 EST
  • Federal Fisheries Policy, Conserving New England Fish

  Nothing tells a story like the eyewitnesses who were there. Old-timers in New England’s commercial cod fishery don’t want us to forget how we got where we are today. Overfishing—catching fish faster than they can reproduce—is still occurring on 10 of our dinner-time favorites like Atlantic cod. These “old salts” remember how different the fishing was just a few decades ago.  In the words of one of them, “it was the most fantastic fishery I ever saw.”More