Report

• Fisheries Bycatch of Sharks: Options for Mitigation

  Nov 02, 2011 - Based on the best available information, this review provides a summary of the current knowledge and understanding of shark bycatch and discusses available management options and technical measures aimed at reducing both the rate at which sharks encounter fishing gear and the associated damaging effects.

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• 2010 Global Aquaculture Performance Index

  Oct 27, 2010 -  The Global Aquaculture Performance Index's main objective is to condense current scientific understanding and aquaculture data into a sound, yet simple score of the environmental performance of marine finfish aquaculture.

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• Ocean Science Series Science Brief: Conserving Atlantic Bluefin Tuna with Spawning Sanctuaries

  Oct 26, 2010 - Atlantic bluefin tuna populations in both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean are currently at very low levels, and additional management measures are needed to rebuild their populations.

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• Ocean Science Summary: Overfishing Trends and the Global Food Crisis

  Sep 14, 2010 - Fish are a vital source of nourishment, especially to people in the world’s poorest nations. Widespread overfishing has led to a decline in catch globally; however, the links between overfishing and food security have not been well-understood.

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• Ocean Science Summary: Marine Fisheries and the World Economy

  Sep 14, 2010 - People in coastal countries depend on healthy fisheries for their livelihoods. Gross revenue globally from marine fisheries has been estimated during the last decade at $80 billion to $85 billion annually.

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• Ocean Science Summary: Subsidizing Global Fisheries

  Sep 14, 2010 - Global fisheries receive billions of dollars in subsidies each year. Although some of this money, such as that to improve fisheries management, can promote sustainable fishing practices, other funding can lead to overfishing in the world’s oceans. Capacity-enhancing subsidies, for example for fuel or boat construction, reduce costs for fishers, enabling them to increase their capacity and catch more fish.

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• Ocean Science Summary: Global Benefits and Impacts of Marine Recreational Activities

  Sep 14, 2010 - Marine recreational activities (MRAs), such as recreational fishing and whale watching, are being enjoyed by more people than ever and can have significant economic benefits. However, they have historically been over-looked in ocean resource management efforts even though these activities depend upon healthy marine ecosystems.

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• Ocean Science Series: Sharks - The State of the Science

  May 26, 2010 - The biological characteristics of sharks make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing. They grow slowly, become sexually mature relatively late and produce few offspring. This vulnerability is reflected in the large number of shark species that are considered to be threatened or endangered.

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• Ocean Science Series: High Seas Fisheries Management Gets Low Marks

  May 24, 2010 - High seas fish populations are declining in spite of management efforts.

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• Ocean Science Series: Redistribution of Fish Catch by Climate Change

  Oct 15, 2009 - Climate change could reduce catch in developing countries.

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• Quantification of U.S. Marine Fisheries Subsidies

  Mar 03, 2009 - Published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management, this study presents detailed information and analysis on the nature and extent of subsidies to the U.S. fishing industry. By evaluating data on both state and federal subsidies, researchers found that government support to the U.S. fishing industry averaged $713 million per year, largely dominated by fuel subsidies.  

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• The Risk of Overexploitation of Atlantic Sharks

  Oct 28, 2008 - A new scientific analysis by the Lenfest Ocean Program recommended a ban on catching eight species of Atlantic, open ocean sharks, and strictly limiting the catch of another two, to prevent possible population crashes.

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• Atlantic Sharks at Risk: An Expert Working Group Report

  Oct 27, 2008 -  Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer and the Lenfest Ocean Program convened an international expert working group to estimate the risk of overfishing for twelve pelagic, or open ocean, shark and ray species caught in Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries under the jurisdiction of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

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• Shark Declines in the Mediterranean Sea

  Jun 11, 2008 - Study suggests the Mediterranean Sea may be losing large predatory sharks.

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• You Can Swim But You Can’t Hide: The Global Status and Conservation of Oceanic Pelagic Sharks and Rays

  May 22, 2008 - Fishing spans all oceans and the impact on ocean predators such as sharks and rays is largely unknown. A lack of data and complicated jurisdictional issues present particular challenges for assessing and conserving high seas biodiversity.

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• Predicting Ecological Consequences of Marine Top Predator Declines

  Apr 01, 2008 - Recent studies document unprecedented declines in marine top predators that can initiate trophic cascades.

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• Setting Annual Catch Limits for U.S. Fisheries: An Expert Working Group Report, 2007

  Oct 11, 2007 - The Expert Working Group developed a straightforward process for establishing catch limits and accountability measures, which included setting a sufficiently precautionary measure to ensure that overfishing does not occur.

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• Strengthing European Fisheries Management: Options for Enforcing the Shark Finning Ban

  May 01, 2007 - Restrictions designed to accommodate a variety of processing practices hamper effective regulation of shark finning. This can be resolved by requiring fishers to land sharks with fins still attached.

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• Managing Bull Kelp Forests

  Apr 02, 2007 - Careful management of this useful but fragile resource is recommended to ensure benefits to humans and wildlife.

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• Depletion, Degradation, and Recovery Potential of Estuaries and Coastal Seas

  Jun 23, 2006 - Comprehensive study published in Science magazine tracks human impact on coastal marine ecosystems.

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• Rebuilding U.S. Fisheries: Progress and Problems

  Jun 13, 2006 - Report on fish stocks ten years after the passage of amendments to the federal Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

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• Global Assessment of Organic Contaminants in Farmed Salmon

  Jan 09, 2004 - This study, sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts and published in the journal Science, assessed levels of health-related contaminants in farm raised salmon compared to their wild counterparts.

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• How Much Observer Coverage Is Enough to Adequately Estimate Bycatch?

  Nov 01, 2003 - This scientific study provides guidelines for one of the greatest unsolved problems in fisheries management--how to gather data on how many fish are caught by fishermen.

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• Taking Stock of the Regional Fishery Management Councils

  Nov 01, 2003 - According to the report Taking Stock of the Regional Fishery Management Councils, financial conflicts of interest, a lack of diverse perspectives and an emphasis on short-term gain over long-term sustainability undermine efforts to manage American fisheries.

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• Shifting Gears: Addressing the Collateral Impacts of Fishing Methods in U.S. Waters

  May 01, 2003 - The Environment Program of The Pew Charitable Trusts recognized the critical role that fishing gear plays in the ongoing debate about the health of the marine environment.

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• Marine Reserves: A Tool for Ecosystem Management and Conservation

  Jan 27, 2003 - Report prepared for the Pew Oceans Commission finds marine ecosystems around the U.S. are targets of intensive alteration caused by coastal development, pollution, commercial fishing and a host of other human-related activities.

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• Future Fish? Issues in Science and Regulation of Transgenic Fish

  Jan 01, 2003 - Future Fish? Issues in Science and Regulation of Transgenic Fish describes some of the products that could be created through the application of genetic engineering to aquaculture as well as the potential environmental and food safety issues associated with such products.

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• Oceans At Risk: Wasted Catch and the Destruction of Ocean Life

  Mar 01, 2002 - Oceans At Risk: Wasted Catch and the Destruction of Ocean Life, a report from Oceana, exposes the waste and destruction of marine life in U.S. fisheries, and the failure of the government to take action.

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• Marine Aquaculture in the United States

  Jul 09, 2001 - Report presented to the Pew Oceans Commission examines the role of the emerging U.S. aquaculture industry in meeting the nation's demand for seafood and its current and potential impacts on the marine environment.

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• Casting Doubt: Mercury, Power Plants and the Fish We Eat

  Aug 01, 2000 - This report examines the most recent information of state advisories pertaining to Mercury contamination in fish and its effect on the public’s health.

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• Lost at Sea

  Sep 01, 1999 - In response to rampant overfishing, excessive bycatch (the incidental capture of non-target fish and other marine life), loss of habitat and other threats to our fisheries, Congress passed the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) in 1996.

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