National Coalition for Marine Conservation's 5 Conservation Programs

NCMC's FIVE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Bring Back the Big Fish
Conserving Marine Ecosystems
Fisheries Reform
Ahead of the Curve
Resources and Education

1. Bring Back the Big Fish

The world’s large open-ocean predators – the tunas, swordfish, marlin, saiflish and sharks – are the lions, tigers and bears of the sea. But these magnificent fish are threatened by over-exploitation for commercial markets. Populations of some species of tuna, billfish and sharks in the Atlantic are at all-time lows, while their cousins in the Pacific are under increasing fishing pressure.

The reasons these fish are threatened are three-fold: exploitation at rates faster than the fish can reproduce; indiscriminate and wasteful fishing practices, such as drift longlines and gill nets; and ineffective management.

The National Coalition for Marine Conservation is working to protect and restore populations of bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye tuna; blue, white and striped marlin; swordfish; sailfish; and large coastal and pelagic sharks. Our efforts focus on implementing bona fide recovery plans for overfished species, reducing the bycatch of non-target fish on pelagic longlines, and promoting catch-and-release fishing and the use of circle hooks among sport anglers.

This program seeks to expand traditional single-species management to an ecosystem-based approach, taking into account relationships between predator and prey species. As stewards of the ocean’s fishery resources, we attempt to conserve each species alone, just as we fish for them. This narrow approach doesn’t account for interactions among predators and prey or the effect that fishing for one has on the other; or fishing operations that kill a wide range of species indiscriminately; or changes in the environment. Conserving marine ecosystems, not just fish, is an idea whose time has come.

The immediate threat posed by overfishing is aggravated by the long-term threat of large-scale changes in marine ecosystems. Pollution and development in coastal waters and the massive destruction of wetlands and other vital habitats has a detrimental effect on ocean fish. Just as ominous are unforeseen and possibly permanent changes in the ocean food chains caused by overfishing. The depletion of a prey species reverberates throughout the food web, limiting the health and abundance of predators.

NCMC works to strengthen protections for coastal and marine habitats essential to the productivity of our ocean fisheries. In addition we are working to expand traditional single-species fishery management planning to address ecosystem considerations, beginning with
relationships between predator and prey species.

Read more about two of our campaigns within the Conserving Marine Ecosystems program:

Since 1973, NCMC has promoted pro-active laws and policies governing the utilization of marine resources. The authority to regulate fishing in U.S. waters arises from several statutes. The most important of these is the Fishery Conservation and Management Act (FCMA), which establishes a federal fishery conservation zone around the U.S. But because federal jurisdiction begins 3 miles from the coastline and ends 200 miles offshore, state laws and international treaties that affect fishing inside and beyond federal waters are important to achieving comprehensive conservation.

The National Coalition for Marine Conservation strives to make conservation the number one priority of fisheries management, by strengthening the FCMA (and other laws) with
corrective amendments as well as by watch-dogging implementation; by influencing the evolution of fishery policies and guidelines; and by participating in the development of key, precedent-setting fishery management plans.

Ahead of the Curve serves to identify opportunities to prevent overfishing and advocate precautionary management. The best way to maintain healthy and productive fisheries, for all users, is to take action before problems occur, instead of reacting to fishery declines with measures that are too little, too late. Marine conservation, like so many environmental issues, is crisis driven. It is the fish that are already overfished and in need of restoration that get the most attention. But by this time, the damage is done. Regulations to stop overfishing and reverse the declines are viewed as punitive by fishermen, engender strong resistance, and come at great cost to the taxpayer.

The National Coalition for Marine Conservation works to keep management a step ahead of threats to our fisheries, whether they result from effort shifting from depleted fisheries to so-called “under-utilized” species; the introduction of new and destructive fishing gear; or changes in market demand. We regularly monitor the nation's fisheries, identify potential threats, and recommend pro-active measures to avert them.

Educating the public with the latest information and newest ideas on current marine conservation issues is crucial to having informed people that will help change the way we manage fisheries. Key resources include the NCMC Marine Bulletin, our regular newsletter, one of the most respected periodicals of its kind, featuring updates and analyses of contemporary conservation issues. NCMC staff regularly contribute articles and news items to national and regional fishing publications. Our web site, www.savethefish.org, is continually updated with information on current events and critical issues. Our Email Action Network keeps subscribers informed and alerts them when action is needed to influence pending decisions.

NCMC has organized national and international conferences to draw together fishery managers, politicians, stakeholders and scientists to discuss a timely conservation topic. NCMC also hosts smaller workshops for invited experts to discuss such topics as fishing tournament-related conservation. And, we research and publish issue papers on contemporary marine conservation topics, which can found on our Publications page.