Mr. Colvin informed the Council that the third annual meeting between NMFS officials and the state marine fishery directors was held in Florida during the week of 11April 2005 and he wanted to relay to the Council some of the highlights of that meeting.  He noted that this discussion took place as the federal and state governments were dealing with the final reports and recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Foundation’s Ocean Commission.  At the meeting, it was pointed out that there would be much attention to ocean issues during the next few years.

The Bush Administration is drafting a bill for submission to Congress on ocean aquaculture that is expected to give NOAA the lead authority for permitting of ocean aquaculture and establish federal policy that is supportive of the development of ocean aquaculture.

There has been a National Advisory Committee of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s).  The Committee will issue a much-anticipated draft report on MPA’s in June.  For more information, see NOAA’s MPA web page.

NMFS appears to be serious about presenting Congress with a proposal for a standard, nationwide recreational fishing license.  Any state that adopts the standard would be able to apply its state license to all fishermen who land fish in the state, including fish caught in the EEZ.  In states without a marine recreational license consistent with the standard(s), a federal marine recreational fishing license would be required.  The details of all this have yet to be developed.

Last year, the Bush Administration released an ocean agenda in response to the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (the US Ocean Action Plan.)  A copy of this plan can be secured through the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality’s web page.   

NOAA is expected to shortly release its national plan for ocean observing systems (OOS’s).  The head of NOAA, who is very serious about OOS’s, spoke at great length regarding his vision in this area.  To him, fisheries data must be an integral part of an ocean observing system, along with commercial and recreational licensing systems and records of such are all a part of the system.

 

Page last modified Sunday, May 8, 2005 by George E. Carroll