Looking at ecosystem-wide effects, and considering the health of the entire forage fish assemblage when setting catch levels for individual species will ensure sufficient abundance of forage species for the ecosystem including fish, invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals and other marine life when calculating appropriate catch levels. Move Existing Fisheries to an Ecologically Sustainable Yield ApproachĮach forage species targeted by commercial fisheries must be managed using an Ecologically Sustainable Yield approach where all the impacts of fishing are considered when managing each fishery. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife adopted a forage fish plan and policy in 1998 that commits to maintaining healthy populations of forage species in its state waters. ocean waters on the West Coast from shore out to 200 miles. With similar regulations in place in Washington and Oregon state waters (0-3 miles) and in federal waters coast-wide (3-200 miles), this action by California is the last piece of the puzzle completing sweeping protections that now apply to all U.S. These forage fish protections in Oregon’s ocean waters and bays took effect on January 1, 2017. On Apthe State of California put regulations in place to prohibit new fisheries from developing on certain species of forage fish from zero to three miles unless and until it can be demonstrated these critical fish can be caught without causing harm to the ecosystem. Also in 2016, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife approved prohibitions on directed commercial fishing for currently unmanaged forage species in state waters (0-3 miles), parallel to the action the Pacific Fishery Management Council took. These protections became final in April 2016. West Coast, including smelts, pelagic squids, and myctophid lanternfish, unless and until it can be shown fishing can occur without causing harm to the ecosystem. In March 2015, the Council voted to prohibit development of new commercial fisheries for seven groups (representing hundreds of species) of forage fish along the U.S. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Pacific Fishery Management Council have already done this for krill, a tiny shrimp-like animal off the U.S. The most conservative approach to protecting forage species is to ban commercial fishing on these species before they begin. New policies must be established that recognize, account for, prioritize, and protect the important role forage species play in the marine ecosystem, maintaining the long-term health of the food web 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 The following actions are needed to protect forage fish:Įstablish Ecosystem-based Management Policies Recognizing and Protecting the Role of Forage Species
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