Solomons, Md. (March 11, 2009) – In an era when fisheries management is rife with controversy, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science fisheries scientists have developed a program that works with a wide diversity of fishery stakeholders to develop a set of protective harvest measures agreeable to recreational anglers, conservation organizations, commercial fishermen and managers.
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| The FishSmart pilot focused on developing recommendations for the king mackerel fishery. |
Unlike the traditional fisheries management process in which the views of stakeholders are considered after harvest limits have been proposed, the “FishSmart” process involves the stakeholders from the outset to come to consensus on a shared vision of a “successful fishery” for the target species.
The FishSmart pilot focused on developing recommendations for the king mackerel fishery along the U.S. south Atlantic coast. King mackerel are one of the top ten marine recreational species in the nation. Recent evidence suggests concern regarding overfishing for this stock.
Over an eight-month period, the stakeholders used a model developed in collaboration with UMCES scientists to weigh how alternative management regulations would impact the fishery. The stakeholders recommended three specific approaches involving changes in size and bag limits to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. All of the workgroup’s recommendations were more conservative than those developed by the Council’s own deliberative process.
“By first focusing on the ultimate goal – a healthy and sustainable fishery – stakeholder groups are better able to develop, understand and adopt measures that take into account everyone’s concerns while protecting the long-term health of the fishery,” said program leader and UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory researcher Dr. Thomas Miller. “FishSmart encourages stakeholders to come to consensus on a set of management measures that protect the fish and are agreeable to everyone at the table.”
“FishSmart shows that diverging viewpoints can come together to make common-sense fishery management recommendations,” said American Sportfishing Association President and CEO Mike Nussman. “Workgroup members reached consensus on a forward-looking assessment, the goal of which was to prevent the Atlantic King Mackerel from being overfished. The focus wasn’t just on today and the restrictions anglers would face, but the long-term health of both the stock and a quality fishing experience.”
“FishSmart clearly shows that when management gives stakeholders the tools and responsibility of making decisions, they can and will work to ensure the long term sustainability of a fishery,” Miller added.
The FishSmart project is supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and represents a next-generation approach to managing our nation’s fisheries. For more information about the program, visit http://consensus.fsu.edu/pfs/index.html.
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland’s premier environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through its three laboratories – Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, and Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge – and the Maryland Sea Grant College.
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