Comparative Analysis of U.S. Federal Fishery Management to the FAO Ecolabelling Guidelines: A Self-Assessment.

摘要

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service and many U.S. fishing industry groups believe that U.S. fisheries are sustainably managed under the strict mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and other applicable laws; however, U.S. consumers hear conflicting messages about the sustainability of U.S. seafood. This assessment illustrates conformance between the U.S. federal marine fisheries management system and internationally-accepted guidelines adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The assessment concludes that NOAA Fisheries addresses all of the FAO’s “Minimum Substantive Requirements and Criteria for Ecolabelling.” Current management strengths include a participatory and transparent science-based fishery management system, with further effort needed to develop a clear, nationwide implementation of ecosystem-based management approaches. The FAO Ecolabelling Guidelines focus on biological components of sustainability; however, the economic and social aspects of sustainable development also need to be addressed if fisheries are to be fully sustainable. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries surpasses FAO criteria when considering socioeconomic impacts. This conformance assessment will aid NOAA Fisheries and the public by systematically documenting and communicating the sustainable management of U.S. fisheries.