National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service releases plan to improve coastwide fishing
Posted by Mark Yuasa
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service released the Regional Recreational Fishing Plans that looks at improving fishing opportunities, and many other related fishing priorities.
Every year, more than 12 million Americans enjoy saltwater recreational fishing along our coasts.
According to NOAA, saltwater recreational fishing is a major economic driver, generating more than $50 billion in sales and supporting more than 326,000 jobs a year.
NOAA released the first regional saltwater recreational fishing action plans designed to help improve fishing opportunities and address recreational fishing priorities in each of the nation’s six coastal regions and for the angling community that fishes for tunas and other highly migratory species.
The new action agendas mark the first time NOAA has both national and regional strategies in place to address the priorities of the nation’s estimated 11 million saltwater anglers who took approximately 73 million fishing trips in 2010.
The plans are based on goals and objectives identified by participants at the 2010 Saltwater Recreational Fishing Summit.
“We worked closely with saltwater anglers and their supporters on plans designed to improve stewardship and fishing today and for future generations,” Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service said in a news release. “We’ll revisit the regional action plans regularly to ensure we continue to address our shared goals.”
A project in the Pacific Northwest to develop and evaluate a new, more flexible management approach for chinook salmon that may allow for increased recreational fishing.
In the Northwest, salmon and steelhead fisheries dominate National Marine Fisheries’ Management responsibilities that affect recreational fishing, in marine waters and freshwater.
There are limited recreational fisheries on groundfi