Annual assessment sees job growth in healthy fisheries

July 14, 2011 Washington, DC Fully rebuilt, U.S. fisheries hold the potential of adding $31 billion to the economy and an additional 500,000 jobs, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) annual status of the stocks report.

NOAAs Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, Eric Schwab, called 2010 a watershed year in U.S. fisheries management, noting the agency had made significant progress to fully rebuild overfished stocks. An effort he said will result in sustainable fisheries that support more stable jobs.

While the stocks subject to overfishing increased by 1 percent, the percent of stocks that were overfished remained the same. A full 84 percent of U.S. stocks are not subject to overfishing.

This report is more evidence that affordable, healthy imported seafood coupled with a popular, iconic domestic catch will help feed America and grow the economy, at a time when health experts report families need to more than double the amount of seafood we eat, said John Connelly, President of the National Fisheries Institute.

The report says the Agency intends to increase the number of stock assessments it conducts annually but notes, to date, the assessments and data show the majority of our nations fisheries are at sustainable levels and management measures continue to be implemented to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks.

The Magnuson Stevens Act required NOAA to implement annual catch limits in all fisheries, with limited exceptions, by 2011 as part of efforts to end overfishing.

For more than 60 years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and its members have provided American families with the variety of sustainable seafood essential to a healthy diet. For more information visit: www.AboutSeafood.com.