FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2007

CONTACT:
Dave Bard — 202.486.4426

Statement of Matt Rand, Marine Fisheries Campaign Director, National Environmental Trust

On NOAA Fisheries releasing its annual "Status of the Stocks" report

"Regional fishery management councils have been failing for decades. We have more overfishing and more depleted fish populations this year than we did last year. According to the report released today, 20% of U.S. marine fish assessed are subject to overfishing and 25% are overfished or depleted. Congress recently passed a law to end overfishing, but we need strong rules to implement it.

"NOAA Fisheries has the opportunity to set things straight by mandating strong rules to end overfishing and ensuring that the councils follow them. The agency needs to set and enforce annual catch limits that must be upheld by the councils. We’re encouraged by the direction that the National Marine Fisheries Service is taking in their development of these rules, but if fishery managers continue to ignore the agency’s rules, we’ll never be able to end overfishing."

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To read the report, go to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/statusoffisheries/SOSmain.htm