US Overfishing List Hits All Time Low, Experts Says US Is Making Progress

(Photo : Getty Images/MAHMUD HAMS)

Authorities recently said that the quantity of fish on the United States government's overfishing list fell to a record low last year and this indicates the state of health when it comes to American fisheries.

Major Milestone

Through its yearly "Status of the Stocks" study, which offers an evaluation of the populations of the seafood species that fishermen catch and consumers purchase, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published an updated review of American fisheries during the later period of last week.

The report said that 94% of the fish stocks are not overfished, which has been deemed as a little improvement when compared with the figure during the previous year.

According to a NOAA statement, the United States was able to take numerous significant fish stocks off the overfishing list.

The said list included the Atlantic mackerel stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Cape Hatteras, as well as the cubera snapper stock in the Gulf of Mexico.

The renowned Snohomish coho salmon also became the most recent population to be added to the rebuilt list last year, in what NOAA called "a major milestone."

According to the organization, the species of coho salmon are usually found in more than 20 distinct stocks in Alaska and the West Coast.

The release of NOAA's study coincides with efforts by non-governmental groups and international governments to combat illicit, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the world's oceans. The European Commission has also made it a priority to discourage unsustainable fishing methods throughout many areas in Europe.

Making Progress

Rick Spinrad, administrator of NOAA, stated that the United States is making progress in terms of the removal of species off the overfishing list.

"By ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks, we are strengthening the value of U.S. fisheries to the economy, our communities and marine ecosystems," he added.

Additionally, in the recent years, the United States has already made headway in removing fish species from the list of overfished species. The list of overfished species includes those with an unsustainable high rate of harvest.

Moreover, NOAA has maintained a list when it comes to overfished stocks.

These species have an excessively small overall population. That figure decreased somewhat last year, according to the government. The organization further reported that over 80% of fish stocks have been considered as not overfished.

According to the agency, it was able to take coho salmon stocks from the Washington coast and bluefish from the Atlantic coast off the overfished list. The organization also claimed that it has also updated the listings with a few new species, such as Mid-Atlantic summer flounder.

Based on the data of the NOAA, commercial fishermen were able to harvest more than 8 billion pounds of seafood in 2022.

According to NOAA, it has a value of nearly $6 billion in the year 2022.