Government's Proposal to Gut Key Conservation Provision Will Adversely Impact Divers

During a four-month public comment period that ended Friday, October 21, the dive community came out in force to protect the nation's fish against overfishing. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) recently proposed changes to National Standard 1 (the federal overfishing standard), a key conservation measure that protects wild fish populations from collapsing. If passed, this proposal would strip the standard of its ability to protect the health and diversity of the nation's fish and ocean ecosystems.

Over 40 dive shop owners, club presidents, and equipment companies wrote personal letters to Dr. Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries. They asked that Hogarth revisit the agency's controversial proposal to change National Standard 1, given its potential negative impacts on ocean ecosystems and on the dive industry. Hundreds of divers submitted electronic comments on the proposal; thousands more signed postcard comments made available by the Conserve Our Ocean Legacy (COOL) campaign at dive shows and dive shops around the country earlier this year.

Divers have good reason for concern. With nearly one third of U.S. commercial fish stocks deemed "overfished" by NOAA Fisheries, divers can expect fewer sightings of large predator fish including tuna, grouper, and sharks. Fragile marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs that depend on overall ecosystem balance, could suffer unpredictable changes. Favorite dive sites in the Florida Keys, for example, may look completely different in 10 years as a result of unsustainable fishing policies being considered right now.

The dive industry will also suffer. Fewer fish and unhealthy dive sites will mean fewer divers buying less equipment and taking fewer dive trips. Not to mention, this would mean fewer new divers getting certified. For business owners such as Dori Carmichael of Splash Dive Center in Alexandria, Virginia, organizing dive trips overseas will prove less profitable than domestic trips.

At a recent press conference, Carmichael expressed how weakening the overfishing standard could impact her business and similar small dive businesses around the country. She argued that this is not just about protecting fish, and explained how NOAA's proposal is also a business concern. She used to run dive trips to California and Florida, but now has to take customers out of U.S. waters to see abundant fish life. Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA), co-chairman of the House Oceans Caucus, agreed, calling the Administration's proposal to weaken overfishing standards "an affront to the goal of achieving sustainable fisheries. As both the U.S. and Pew Commissions on Ocean Policy made clear, we need to be taking steps forward not backward."

National Standard 1 is the cornerstone of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, the principle law governing the nation's fisheries. This fundamental standard is essential for responsible fishery management.

If the proposal to change the overfishing standard passes, divers will clearly see the impacts through the quality and price of dive trips in U.S. waters and the struggle of the industry to sustain itself amid shrinking demand. Based on recent diver participation in efforts to keep National Standard 1 strong, it is likely that members of the U.S. dive community will play an increasingly important role in advocating for stronger fisheries and other federal ocean policies.