photo courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Fishing for the Future How Conservation and Sustainability Promote Healthy Ecosystems by Dakota Parks
Fishing along the Gulf Coast is more than just a hobby or a job—it’s a way of life and a cultural thread that unifies our coastal communities. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), there are more than four million anglers licensed in the State of Florida, and saltwater recreational fishing accounts for a $9.2 billion economic impact. These marine ecosystems provide us with important food sources, jobs and economic stability, recreation and cultural identity. However, demand for seafood and advances in technology have led to overfishing, which endangers and depletes fish and shellfish populations. Moreover, the entire ocean is under stress from environmental pollution and climate change, which is driving increases in water temperatures, acidity, rising sea levels, stronger and more frequent storms and habitat destruction. Marine conservation and sustainable fishing practices are fundamental to curbing human impact on marine life and ensuring there are fish for the future.
At the non-profit Pew Charitable Trusts, established in 1948, sustainable fishing requires two major things: science-based catch limits and “ecosystem-based fishery management,” which builds upon the traditional method of U.S. fishery management that focuses on one species at a time when setting fishing regulations. Ecosystembased fishery management also considers the broader ecosystem and recognizes that each population is interconnected with other fish, ocean wildlife and habitats, which are directly affected by human activities and changing environments. This approach allows Pew to focus work on habitat conservation, managing bycatch, protecting forage fish and advocating for fishery ecosystem plans. “Sustainable fishing means that we’re fishing for the future so that we can maintain the economic and recreational benefits from these natural resources for the long term,” Tom Wheatley, a senior manager for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ U.S. southeast ocean conservation work, explained. “We partner with different stakeholders that are interested in these resources—folks from the scientific community, from the resource user community, state government and federal government—to find ways that we can work together to mitigate these problems through a good management plan.” As Wheatley explained, much of his work on overfishing shifted to this ecosystem-based approach after The Pew Charitable Trusts supported changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation JULY '21
33
