Oceans

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The Great Gulf

Fishermen, Scientists, and the Struggle to Revive the World's Greatest Fishery

For hundreds of years, the New England cod fishery was one of the most productive in the world, with higher average annual landings than any comparable ocean area. But in the late 1980s, fish catches dropped precipitously, as the cod, flounder, and other species that had long dominated the region seemed to lose their ability to recover from the massive annual harvests. Even today, with fishing sharply restricted, populations have not recovered.

Who Owns America's Fisheries?

America's commercial fisheries are in jeopardy. With a significant percentage of the nation's fisheries depleted and fish populations declining in many regions, the health of the broader marine environment is also threatened. What should be done to reverse the decline and restore fish populations is a matter of much debate.

Taking Stock

Of The Regional Fishery Management Councils

Over a third of the nation's fish stocks currently are overfished. These stocks historically supported some of America's most important fisheries: cod, salmon, rockfish, tuna, and red snapper, to list only a few. This study, initiated and supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts, looks in detail at the mandates, constitution, rules, and procedures of the regional fish councils to determine whether the counsils can effectively manage the nation's fisheries. The report discussed four key problems that plague the councils and suggests ways to implement changes.

Economic Losses from Marine Pollution

A Handbook For Assessment

Marine pollution causes significant damage to fisheries and other economically productive uses of the ocean. The value of that damage can be quantified by economists, but the meanings of those valuations and how they are derived are often obscure to noneconomists.

Economic Losses from Marine Pollution brings a fuller understanding of the variety and extent of marine losses and how they are assessed to scientists, lawyers, and environmentalists by systematically identifying and classifying marine losses and relating them to models and methods of economic valuation.