An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Although the background and recommendations in the previous section focusedprimarily on improvements to marine fishery management through the RFMC system,the concepts apply equally well to Great Lakes fisheries. The Great Lakes FisheriesCommission should ensure that there are similarly strong linkages between scientificfindings and the management decisions under their jurisdiction.Strengthening Fishery GovernanceClarifying Fishery Management Authority and JurisdictionIn 1976, the Magnuson–Stevens Act greatly expanded the federal government’s marinefishery management jurisdiction from the seaward boundary of state waters out to 200nautical miles from the coast. Known as the Fisheries Conservation Zone, this newly createdarea was later subsumed into the EEZ. In general, marine fishery management jurisdictionis divided among the states, three interstate fisheries commissions, eight RFMCs,and the federal government. Each of these entities plays a valuable role in managing ournation’s fisheries.The RFMCs develop management plans for fisheries within their portion of the EEZ(Figure 19.2). Based on advisory group recommendations, NMFS develops and implementsplans for highly migratory species (including tuna, swordfish, billfish, and sharks)Figure 19.2 U.S. Fisheries Are Managed at the Regional LevelNorthPacificCouncilNewEnglandCouncilWestern Pacific CouncilPacificCouncilMid-AtlanticCouncilSouth AtlanticCouncilGulf ofMexicoCouncilCaribbeanCouncilInset not to scaleEight regional fishery councils manage the harvest of living marine resources. The councils areresponsible for developing sustainable domestic fisheries and linking the fishing communities moredirectly to the management process. Several states, illustrated with vertical lines, belong to morethan one council. For example, Oregon and Washington are members of both the Pacific Counciland the North Pacific Council.C HAPTER 19: ACHIEVING S USTAINABLE F ISHERIES283