Lee Crockett - The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Bottom Line: New Year's Resolution 2012: Let's Gain Weight in the Ocean

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:05:00 GMT

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions for Americans is to lose weight. Around this time of year, gyms fill up, the health food sections of supermarkets become crowded, and people whose daily exercise consisted of picking up their mail start jogging. But for the fish in America’s oceans, we need to resolve to help them gain weight.

Fisheries Management Laws Angled for Long Haul

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 15:35:00 GMT

Besides disco balls, bell-bottoms and lava lamps, the 1970s can lay claim to something far more important -- a host of landmark environmental laws. The Clean Air Act, Ocean Dumping Act and Clean Water Act changed our nation forever. And as a then-young Coast Guard seaman, I saw firsthand the improvements in managing our oceans after Congress passed the Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 35 years ago.

ICCAT: Time to Tackle What's Really in the Net

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:25:00 GMT

What’s in a name? If you’re talking about ICCAT—the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas—so much is contained in that one acronym. This body manages all the tuna and tuna-like species found in the vast ocean waters between the United States and Europe and between South America and Africa.

Overfishing 101: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding U.S. Fishery Management

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:00:00 GMT

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. The “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.

Overfishing 101: A Big Fish Story We Should Take Seriously

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:45:00 GMT

Almost everyone has a friend or a relative who loves to tell the tale of the "big one" that got away. And more often than not, that fish grows larger and larger with every telling of the story. I have to admit, as an avid angler, I may have been tempted to do this a time or two. But not all fish stories are tall tales.

Overfishing 101: A Small Fish with Big Problems

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:15:00 GMT

Anglers like me are often impressed with size. We seek out the largest fish, revel in stories about the “big one” that got away, and proudly display photos of our most impressive catches. But it’s a small, unassuming fish, the Atlantic menhaden, which forms the backbone of ecosystems and economies along the East Coast of the United States. Unfortunately, after decades of poorly regulated fishing, menhaden are in serious trouble.

Overfishing 101: Celebrating a Good Year for Marine Conservation

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:00:00 GMT

This was a historic year for United States ocean management. Thirty-five years after the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) was enacted, we have finally established a system that, if implemented properly, will keep countless marine species healthy and ensure fishermen stay on the water.

Overfishing 101: Creative Ways to Protect Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:40:00 GMT

Many people have heard of bluefin tuna, even if they haven’t eaten it. Bluefin, which are among the world’s most remarkable animals, can reach 1,500 pounds, migrate across the Atlantic, dive to depths of more than 3,000 feet and swim at breakneck speeds. They have also been pursued for centuries for their rich, buttery flesh. Traditional bluefin fisheries used to be sustainable, but loosely regulated industrial-scale fishing changed everything for this amazing fish.

Overfishing 101: Dissecting Sectors

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:30:00 GMT

New England groundfish fishermen have operated for more than a year under a new system of cooperative fishing groups called sectors. And as often happens with any transformation within an industry, some have prospered, while others have not. Some government officials are asking the federal government to overturn these reforms, but others say leave the basic system alone. So what’s really happening?

Overfishing 101: How Ocean Fish Populations are Managed in the U.S.

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:47:25 GMT

All too often the discussion around the issue of overfishing has been limited to a small group of stakeholders such as fishermen, conservationists and scientists. To help open up this debate to the broader public, I've developed a short series nicknamed "Overfishing 101." In this post, I'll take a look at some of the basics of why all Americans should care about how our ocean fish are managed.

Overfishing 101: How Ocean Fish Populations are Managed in the U.S. (Part 2)

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:45:00 GMT

To effectively manage these populations, the U.S. needs to base its policy on science. Few topics arouse passions about ocean conservation more quickly than overfishing—taking more fish from our ocean than nature can replace—and what to do about it. In my experience, this debate too often sinks into the details and jargon of fisheries management, making it difficult for the lay person to understand the subject. In this post, I’d like to break it down in a way that is easier to understand.

Overfishing 101: How Science Helps Managers End Overfishing and Rebuild Depleted Fish Populations

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Industry representatives frequently charge that federal fisheries managers use bad science to make decisions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Learn more about the use of research in setting policy and managing our marine resources.

Overfishing 101: It Ain't Over Till It's Over

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:25:00 GMT

Everyone loves a good comeback story, but sometimes a storyline emerges prematurely. Mark Twain famously responded to a press inquiry regarding his supposed demise by saying, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Similarly, declarations earlier this year that overfishing had ended in America provide a case in point.

Overfishing 101: New England's First Year of Fishing Under Sectors

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:40:00 GMT

In May 2010, the New England Fishery Management Council began a system of cooperative fishing groups called sectors. Sector members create a business plan that makes clear how the allotment will be divided and how, when and where they will fish. Find out how this new management plan has fared over the past year.

Overfishing 101: Postcard from Pendik

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:55:00 GMT

ICCAT is the international body that manages tuna fisheries across a quarter of the ocean’s surface, including the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Overfishing 101: Protecting Tuna with Technology

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:30:00 GMT

Atlantic bluefin have been over-exploited for years, with governments often dragging their feet when it comes to implementing measures that would help protect this valued species. As my friend, noted marine ecologist Carl Safina, recently said, “The right thing never happens for bluefin tuna.”

Overfishing 101: The Importance of Rebuilding Our Fish Populations Without Delay

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:10:00 GMT

Lee Crockett, Federal Fisheries Policy director, explores why efforts to delay rebuilding plans and legislative proposals to add so-called “flexibility” in managing fish populations are a bad idea that would only repeat past failed policies.

Overfishing 101: Why Ending Overfishing is Good for Both Fish and Fishermen Alike

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

As a lifelong angler, I'm the first to admit that fishing can inspire passionate arguments about where, when and how to fish. But decisions about how to rebuild our depleted fish populations must be based on science and facts, not emotion or ideology.

Overfishing 101: Why Ending Overfishing Pays Off in the Long Run

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:25:00 GMT

Lee Crockett, Federal Fisheries Policy director, discusses the economic benefits of ending overfishing and why we can't quit just when the current law is beginning to work.

Overfishing 101: Why Rebuilding Fish Populations Benefits Everyone

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:25:00 GMT

All too often, leaders in Washington focus on the short-term impacts of potential policies to the detriment of long-term benefits to our environment and economy. Ongoing efforts in Congress to weaken the federal laws that govern marine resources are a great case in point.

Counting Fish

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:20:00 GMT

How heavy is 35,000 metric tons? For starters, it’s the weight of 193 jumbo jets or 2,917 African elephants. It’s also the amount of Atlantic bluefin tuna that have exceeded the official catch quota in the Mediterranean Sea in the past two years alone, according to a Pew-commissioned analysis of the international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna released today.

Getting Serious About Illegal Tuna Fishing in the Mediterranean

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:05:00 GMT

Driftnets sound relatively harmless as a fishing method. But as any marine biologist will tell you, this gear threatens ocean wildlife. At its November meeting, however, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) could take steps to enforce current international prohibitions on the usage of this damaging practice.

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