A Comparison of Groundfish Management on the East and West Coasts of the United States
Abstract
The groundfish fisheries of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the US are valuable
economically
and ecologically. The industries in the two locations have faced depleted stocks and
increased
regulations by the New England and Pacific Fishery Management Councils over the years.
Both
fisheries contain a varied array of demersal fish in separate ecosystem contexts,
and similar gear
types are used in both locations. However, the community and geographical structures,
composition and interactions of the Fishery Management Councils, industry organization,
and
activism create a different historical perspective with which to view management failures
and
successes. In New England, factors such as a greater value of independence, a lack
of
cooperation and coordination between stakeholders and scientists, and a longer history
of fishery
decline have contributed to the current management climate. The Pacific groundfishery
has
experienced a more recent illumination of overexploitation, but there is a longer
history of
cooperation between states, fishermen, and scientists. In addition, differences in
the Pacific
Fishery Management Council structure and process have created a distinct management
picture.
The management measures enacted by the two councils since the implementation of the
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act have differed, but neither has been
successful—as evidenced by overexploited stocks. Recently, both fisheries management
plans
have undergone changes in response to the declines and subsequent lawsuits by stakeholder
groups. From comparing the characteristics of the two council systems, their methods,
and their
participants, important lessons can be learned as fisheries management on both sides
of the US
continues, out of necessity, to evolve.
Type
Master's projectSubject
FisheriesGroundfish
Management
Coastal
United States of America (USA)
Magnuson-Steven Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA)
Pacific Fishery Management Council
New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC)
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/252Citation
Strader, Rachel (2004). A Comparison of Groundfish Management on the East and West Coasts of the United States.
Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/252.Collections
More Info
Show full item record
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator, and subject.
-
Adaptive Management Applications in U.S. Fisheries and Approaches to Analysis of Adaptive Management Programs Under the National Environmental Policy Act With Example Applications in Terrestrial Resource Management Scenarios
Michie, Kate (2012-10-08)The ever-changing conditions of U.S. fisheries require dynamic and adaptive management measures to ensure sustainability of target species and the industries which rely on them. Challenges of implementing such measures, ... -
Identifying Forest Management Scale Variables to Manage White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Duke Forest, North Carolina
Payeur, Hunterr; Smerczynski, Patrick (2016-04-28)Higher densities of white-tailed deer (WTD) populations lead to alterations in forest structure, forest regeneration dynamics, and plant morphology from selective browse. Forests in urbanized landscapes, otherwise known ... -
Essays in Empirical Operations Management: Bayesian Learning of Service Quality and Structural Estimation of Complementary Product Pricing and Inventory Management
Shang, Yan (2016)This dissertation contributes to the rapidly growing empirical research area in the field of operations management. It contains two essays, tackling two different sets of operations management questions which are motivated ...