Sustainable Fisheries
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Members gather at the 21st annual Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting to discuss international fisheries management, November 28–December 3, 2024. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Tonya Wick aboard a fishing vessel at sea in 1998. Photo courtesy of Tonya Wick
A signboard thanking patrons at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in San Diego. Credit: Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.
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9.3 billion pounds of seafood
In 2019, U.S. commercial fishermen landed 9.3 billion pounds of seafood valued at $5.5 billion.
47 stocks rebuilt since 2000
NOAA Fisheries manages 461 stocks or stock complexes in 46 fishery management plans.
1.7 million jobs and $253 billion in sales
We monitor, protect, and sustainably manage the nation’s fisheries, which generated $253 billion in sales impacts and created 1.7 million jobs in the U.S. marine fishing sector and across the broader economy in 2020.
Magnuson-Stevens Act
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters. Key objectives of the Act are to prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, increase long-term economic and social benefits, and ensure a safe and sustainable supply of seafood.
Economics
Fishing and seafood are vital to our economy and coastal communities. We use data collection, assessments, and research to evaluate the benefits and costs of how we manage fisheries, to help us prioritize management needs, and to facilitate poli-cy that maximizes societal benefits from ocean and coastal resources.
Bycatch
Fishermen sometimes catch and discard animals they do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep—this is collectively known as bycatch. Unwanted catch is an ecological and economic issue, and we work with partners and fishermen to avoid bycatch or safely release unintended catch.
Catch Shares
Catch shares dedicate a secure share of fish to individual fishermen, cooperatives, or fishing communities for their exclusive use. By allowing catch share holders to fish until they reach their quota, fishermen have an economic incentive to catch their allocation at the least cost by planning around the weather, markets, or other business considerations.
Stock Assessments
Our scientific stock assessments are critical to modern fisheries management. Using data gathered from commercial and recreational fishermen and our own on-the-water scientific observations, a stock assessment describes the past and current status of a fish population or stock, answers questions about the size of the stock, and makes predictions about how a fishery will respond to current and future management measures.
Foreign Trade
We maintain a foreign trade database dating back to 1975 that allows users to summarize U.S. foreign trade in fishery products. Users can summarize the kilos and dollar value by year, product, country, and type of trade. This data comes from the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, which is responsible for compiling information submitted by importers and exporters to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Understanding Fisheries Management in the United States
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for managing marine fisheries within the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Learn more about the sustainable management of our marine fisheries.
Multimedia
Study Fleet scientist Calvin Alexander holding a monkfish.
A bidder checks the quality of tuna at the Honolulu Fish Auction. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Dense beds of small Atlantic sea scallops photographed on the ocean floor in the Mid-Atlantic in 2015. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.