Monica Medina Deputy Director, Environment September 29, 2016

Transcription

1 Monica Medina Deputy Director, Environment September 29, 2016

2 Walton Family Foundation Commitment To Oceans At the Walton Family Foundation, we believe that conservation solutions that make economic sense stand the test of time. The mission of our Environment Program is to improve lives and secure healthy ocean and river ecosystems by aligning environmental, social and economic interests. At this year s Our Ocean conference, the Walton Family Foundation announced a five-year, $250-million commitment to support ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries in Indonesia and the Americas United States, Mexico, Chile and Peru and restoration of coastal Gulf of Mexico.

3 What is overfishing? Why care about overfishing? Ocean health. Catching more fish than can be replaced by reproduction

4 Why care about overfishing? Jobs.

5 Why care about overfishing? Healthy food.

6 What does the public think? Views of Comprehensive Fisheries Management Among Voters Lori Weigel

7 Residents of the target states view fish as essential to the way of life in their state. Saltwater Fish Attributes % Very Well - Essential to our way of life Coastal USA Maine New Jersey 32% 52% 66% Florida Washington Coastal California 55% 55% 60% I'm going to read you a different list of words and phrases. For each one, please indicate how well you think it describes saltwater fish in ocean waters off your state.

8 Mainers and Floridians are most likely to say fish are important to their state s economy. Saltwater Fish Attributes % Very Well - Essential to our way of life Coastal USA Maine New Jersey Florida Washington Coastal California 35% 41% 67% 59% 48% 82% I'm going to read you a different list of words and phrases. For each one, please indicate how well you think it describes saltwater fish in ocean waters off your state.

9 Consistently, voters in coastal U.S. and target states view saltwater fish as personally important to them. Saltwater Fish Attributes - Important To Me Personally Very Well Total Well Coastal USA 23% 62% Maine 42% 72% New Jersey 36% 72% Florida 45% 72% Washington 40% 72% Coastal California 39% 71% I'm going to read you a different list of words and phrases. For each one, please indicate how well you think it describes saltwater fish in ocean waters off your state.

10 Most respondents in these coastal areas say that seafood is a part of their diet as well. Frequency of Shellfish or Fish Consumption Among National Coastal Counties Respondents Every day 1% At least once a week 25% At least once a month 34% A few times a year 24% Almost never 15% Thinking back over the past twelve months how often did you personally eat shellfish or fish caught in the ocean, such as tuna, halibut, mahi mahi or cod?

11 Floridians and Washington state voters are most likely to describe themselves as anglers. 27% Maine 11% Washington 17% New Jersey 16% Coastal California Coastal U.S.: 13% Florida 24% Do you consider yourself to be an angler?

12 Coastal California and Maine are the least likely to differentiate between healthy fish and healthy oceans. State Problems % Extremely/Very Serious The health of the ocean and coastal waters The health and abundance of most saltwater fish in the ocean Coastal USA 71% 60% Maine 55% 49% New Jersey 63% 48% Florida 63% 48% Washington 63% 54% Coastal California 77% 72% Next is a list of issues some people say are problems in their area of (STATE). For each one, please indicate how big a problem you think it is where you live.

13 A majority believe most fish populations have declined. Increased 10% Stayed about the same 35% 55% Decreased Perceived Saltwater Fish Population Change Over The Last Five Years In the last five years, would you say the populations of most saltwater fish in ocean waters off your state

14 New England and Pacific coast residents are most likely to say that fish populations have declined recently. 77% 57% 33% 50% 40% 43% 43% 60% 32% 5% 18% 10% 10% 14% 8% New England (7%) Mid-Atlantic (15%) South-Atlantic (22%) Gulf of Mexico (17%) Increased Decreased Stayed About The Same Perceived Saltwater Fish Population Change Over The Last Five Years Pacific (without AK/HI) (37%) In the last five years, would you say the populations of most saltwater fish in ocean waters off your

15 When prompted, residents perceive run-off, over-fishing as big threats. Threats to Saltwater Fish Ranked by % Very/Somewhat Serious Among National Coastal Counties Data Fertilizers, pesticides and polluted run-off running into rivers and eventually ocean waters Coastal USA ME NJ FL WA CA 75% 86% 92% 92% 89% 94% Over-fishing by commercial fishing companies 64% 82% 72% 79% 81% 84% Climate change 64% 76% 76% 65% 80% 78% Warming ocean waters 63% 76% 71% 64% 79% 74% New development in wetlands 50% 64% 67% 76% 69% 67% Unintentional harvest, or by-catch of fish and wildlife 45% 54% 52% 59% 59% 60% Overfishing by sport and recreational fishermen 40% 28% 35% 42% 39% 42% The following are different things that some say are a threat to saltwater fish in ocean waters off of the coast in this area. For each one, please

16 Partisan affiliation bears a very strong relationship to views of climate and warming ocean waters. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Very/Somewhat Serious Threat by Party Among National Coastal Counties Data 41% 44% Republicans (27%) Climate Change 65% 65% Independents (25%) Warming Ocean Waters 79% 73% Democrats (44%) The following are different things that some say are a threat to saltwater fish in ocean waters off of the coast in this area. For each one, please indicate how serious a threat you believe that is to ocean fish populations If there s one with which you are not familiar please indicate that instead

17 Few think current laws are too strong; and a plurality are unsure. The current laws are strong enough and should remain as they are. 25% Don t know enough to say. 38% 10% The current laws are too strong and should be relaxed. 25% The current laws are not strong enough and should be stronger. Please select which of the following statements comes closest to your own view of the current laws that govern the fishing of saltwater fish in federal waters, that is ocean waters that are typically three miles or more off your

18 Where are the largest fishing ports?

19 What are the most important fisheries?

20 How does recreational fishing fit in?

21 The Law: Magnuson-Stevens Act Prohibits Overfishing Mandates Optimum Yield Establishes Regional Self-Governance for Fisheries Impact on Fishing Communities Factored In Conservation and management measures shall take into account the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities by utilizing economic and social data in order to (a) provide for the sustained participation of such communities, and (b) to the extent practicable, minimize adverse economic impacts on such communities.

22 How are federal fisheries managed? Federal fisheries management takes place from 3 to 200 miles from the U.S. coastline From 3 miles to shore is state waters state law applies Beyond 200 miles is international waters anyone can fish

23 How are federal fisheries managed?

24 U.S. Fisheries by the Numbers million Overfished stocks today versus 92 in 2000 Stocks rebuilt since 2000 Species under catch shares; 24 in 2000 American jobs, up 15% since 2011

25 The rebounding of U.S. fisheries is a natural resources success story. Oceans are resilient But fisheries must be managed well

26 Stocks have been rebuilt in every region.

27 Example: Rebuilding Plan for Black Sea Bass

28 How is fishing managed?

29 Who manages fishing? Regional Fishery Management Councils: Develop and amend Fishery Management Plans Convene committees and advisory panels and conduct public meetings Develop research priorities in conjunction with a Scientific and Statistical Committee Select fishery management options Set annual catch limits based on best available science Develop and implement rebuilding plans

30 What tools are used? Catch Limits Scientists examine catch history & population dynamics Set maximum catch amounts Prohibit fishing activity not to exceed limit such as: Size limits Trip limits Fishing days Essentially fishing derby Catch Shares Government assigns fishing rights to fishermen Shares of the fishing stock Allows fishermen to fish when and how they want Gives them a stake in sustainability of fishery If fish stock goes up so does their share of fishery

31 Catch shares can work well: Surf Clam

32 What have we learned? Catch shares work Aligning economic and conservation incentives makes fishing more profitable and sustainable. Transition from traditional management to catch shares is difficult and requires industry support and advocacy. Without sufficient monitoring and real-time fisheries catch data, any management system will not be fully successful. Sometimes even success has a downside Must anticipate and plan to address it.

33 Red Snapper Rebuilding

34 Rebuilding Paradox Average Weight (lbs ww)

35 Recreational Red Snapper Catches State Inconsistency LA 2012 FL 2013 All States Landings (mp ww) PR CFH

36 Recreational Red Snapper Fishing Days 10.0 Landings Rec. Quota Days Open SS Landings (mp ww) Oil Spill PR CFH Days Open a 2015b 0

37 What s next in 2017? 1. Maintain MSA through first year of new administration and Congress. 2. Expand the use of good electronic monitoring better data for management and enforcement to get beyond pilot phase to mandatory use. 3. Ensure implementation of recommendations of President s IUU Task Force. 4. Expand capacity in key catch shares fisheries by reducing costs, increasing market transparency and improving catch share operational efficiencies. 5. Continue to move toward catch share fisheries for recreational fishermen both anglers and charter boats in the Gulf of Mexico. The red thread binding this work is electronic monitoring.

38 Good management needs enforcement

39 Key Questions Catch limits and catch shares: How can we build sufficient political support to cement them in law? Electronic monitoring: Will technology become accepted and affordable for fishers? Can we get over the obstacles in the Gulf of Mexico with catch shares for recreational fishing? Can we combine with our coastal program to achieve recreational catch shares?

40 Climate change is impacting fisheries.

41 A future generations message that connects voters to how saltwater fish and the ocean impact their lives resonates strongly. From fishing, shrimping, crabbing or clamming, to enjoying seafood, having healthy populations of fish can enrich our lives. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to protect the health of not just a few fish species, but ensure the broader health of the oceans that sustain our coastal communities. We can do that better by taking a comprehensive fishery management approach to ensure fish populations rebound and stay healthy for the long term. Very Convincing There are a number of reasons why some people say that we should move to this more comprehensive approach to manage saltwater fish.

42 The tech message was top-tier among coastal voters nationally. The law that governs management of our ocean fish was created nearly 40 years ago, at a time when scientists mostly relied on reported landings from fishermen to draw conclusions about how many fish were in the ocean. With modern, sophisticated technology from GPS to sonar, we know much more about fish populations, their migration patterns, their health and what affects them. Using that information for decisions on how we manage those fish populations makes sense. Very Convincing There are a number of reasons why some people say that we should move to this more comprehensive approach to manage saltwater fish. Pl t h f th f ll i t t t t h i i th t t thi h i h

43 DO use an economic message it resonated most with commercial fishermen in focus groups and is top-tier among coastal Americans. Taking a broader approach to restoring fish populations and having a healthier ocean won t just be good for the environment; it will be good for our coastal economies, allow fishermen to continue in traditional livelihoods, and retain the unique character of our coastal communities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that rebuilding all U.S. fish stocks will generate an additional $31 billion annually in sales impacts per year, support an additional 500,000 jobs, and increase revenues to fishermen by $2.2 billion annually across the United States. Very Convincing There are a number of reasons why some people say that we should move to this more comprehensive approach to manage saltwater fish.

44 Most government agencies are quite credible. The Council is not well known. Messengers Ranked by ME % Total Trust ME NJ FL WA CA Marine biologists from (State) University 92% 83% 59% 86% 80% (State) Department of Fish and Wildlife 91% 76% 77% 83% 80% U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 80% 75% 77% 77% 71% National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 72% 63% 69% 78% 65% Conservation organizations 61% 57% 53% 67% 56% Commercial fishermen 57% 40% 42% 42% 34% Recreational fishermen 56% 42% 49% 58% 41% (Regional) Fishery Management Council 53% 25% 23%* 30% 17% *Average of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils I am going to read you the names of organizations and types of people that might speak out about issues related to fisheries. For each one,

45 Women run federal fisheries. Dr. Kathryn Sullivan NOAA Administrator Eileen Sobeck Assistant Administrator for Fisheries

46 Thank You!