Require Fishery Ecosystem Plans

Our fisheries management system emphasizes the health of individual fish populations or stocks. This single species approach does not fully account for the interconnections of marine life, the ever-changing environment, and the impact of human activities. 

Read stories about how ecosystem plans from each regional council guide decisions using the latest science about what affects fish, such as habitat and food supply, and how fishing impacts other fisheries and ecosystems. 

• U.S. Ocean Fishing Law Forged by Cold War Politics
  All Regions

• Creating Sustainable Fisheries from the Start
  North Pacific

• Planning for Good Days Ahead
  Mid Atlantic l New England

• Holding On To the Trifecta Seafood Experience
  Caribbean

• Climate Change Affects Where We Find—and Catch—Fish
  All Regions

• Tracking the Telltale Signs of a Healthy Ecosystem
  North Pacific

• For This Fish, a Hole Is Home for the Holidays
  Gulf of Mexico

• A ‘Genius’ Fisherman’s Idea for a Cod Comeback
  New England

• Fishing Boat Captain Urges Anglers to Release the Big Ones
  South Atlantic

• A Bird’s Eye View on Cape Cod Fishing
  New England

• Past the Whales, Over the Corals, and Through the Canyons
  Gulf of Mexico

• What’s Love Got to Do With Green Sea Turtles and Fish?
  Gulf of Mexico l South Atlantic l Caribbean

• How Our Warming Ocean Is Altering Fisheries
  All Regions

• Climate Change Shuffles the Deck for Fishery Managers
  Mid Atlantic l New England

• Salmon’s Journey—and Environmental Sensitivity—Highlights Need for Big-Picture Thinking
  Pacific

• Corals That Brighten Gulf of Mexico Depths Need Greater Protection
  Gulf of Mexico

• Rapid Reporting Helps Fishermen Reduce Bycatch, but the Law Lags Behind
  All Regions

• 5 Keys to Improving Ocean Health
  All Regions