Challenges in Managing Marine & Estuarine Recreational Fisheries

With the passage of the Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Act) in 1976, the United States Federal Government took on the responsibility to develop a comprehensive marine fisheries management system for United States waters in the Exclusive Economic Zone (mostly 3 to 200 miles from shore).  Under the Act, a system of marine Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils) was created and charged with the responsibility to develop fishery management plans (FMPs) for important marine fisheries.  The Councils, under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Commerce, have over the past several decades, developed FMPs for numerous marine species. Concurrently, the coastal states independent of, in cooperation with the Councils, or through marine interstate commissions have developed coastal regulations for managing many of the same species under Council FMPs for the near shore marine and estuarine waters.  There has been mixed success by the states and Councils in solving fishing management problems.  In particular, Federal and state actions to monitor and manage marine and estuarine recreational fisheries has been most challenging.

This symposium will discuss implementation of the Act, and will examine management on several United States marine fisheries with major recreational fishing components, as well as reviewing recent research and monitoring program developments that will enhance the ability to monitor and manage marine recreational fisheries.

This symposium supports the theme of the AFS Annual meeting in that it reviews some of the current management systems on high priority marine recreational fishing species, and covers resent scientific findings and improvements to programs that will lead the way in helping today’s fisheries resources mangers meet many of the current challenges facing marine recreational fisheries.