# Presentation: 359816

## State Directors Meeting

**Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)**
- Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
- NOAA Administrator
- April 13, 2005

## Outline

- U.S. Ocean Action Plan update
- Ecosystem approach to management
- Observations
- Fisheries management
- NOAA and the States

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## U.S. Ocean Action Plan Update

**U.S. Ocean Action Plan Update**

- December 17, 2004
- Executive Order: Committee on Ocean Policy
- U.S. Ocean Action Plan
- High level attention

- http://ocean.ceq.gov

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Ecosystem Definitions	

- An **ecosystem** is a geographically specified system of organisms (including humans), the environment, and the processes that control its dynamics
**Ecosystem** approach to management:
- Adaptive
- Regionally directed
- Takes account of ecosystem knowledge
- Takes account of uncertainty
- Considers multiple external influences
- Strives to balance diverse societal objectives

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## North Pacific Climate Regimes & Ecosystem Productivity (NPCREP)

- Climate change is affecting species distribution, recruitment, harvests and trophic interactions
- Supported by a biophysical monitoring network
- Provides managers with qualitative and quantitative assessments and predictions
**Qualitative** – provides general conclusions about the status and trends of the ecosystem
**Quantitative** – provides specific conclusions on status and trends of populations

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Earth Observations & Fisheries

- Commercial & recreational catch statistics
- Stock assessments
- Observer program
- Standardized sampling gear
- Oceanographic & lower trophic level data

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Federal Fisheries Management

- Northwest
- Southwest
- Alaska
- Northeast
- Southeast
- Pacific

**PFMC**
- CA, OR, WA

**PSMFC**
- AK, CA, ID, OR, WA

**NPFMC**
- AK

**WPFMC**
- Am Samoa, Guam, HI, CNMI

**GSMFC**
- AL, FL, LA, MS, TX

**GMFMC**
- AL, LA, MS, TX, FL

**CFMC**
- PR, USVI

**SAFMC**
- E. FL, GA, NC, SC

**MAFMC**
- DE, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, VA

**NEFMC**
- CT, MA, ME, NH, RI

**ASMFC**
- CT, DE, GA, MA, MD, ME,NC, NH, NJNY, PA, SC, RI, VA , FL

**= Fishery Management Council**

**= Marine Fishery Commission**

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Large Marine Ecosystems

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP)

- Regional effort that moves beyond tradition of individual federal and state responsibilities
- 13 states, NOAA, DOI, 2 commissions, 2 councils
- Six issue areas:
- public use
- fishery mitigation
- imperiled fish and aquatic species recovery
- interjurisdictional fisheries
- aquatic habitat conservation
- aquatic nuisance species
- Aquatic Nuisance Species plans and Aquatic Habitat Plan being developed

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Recreational Licenses

- U.S. Ocean Action Plan:
- make data collection from licenses compatible across U.S.
- create draft proposal for completing existing network or propose alternatives
- States have extensive experience
- NOAA and States must work together on challenges
- Licenses will enhance data and improve management

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Recreational Fisheries Strategic Plan

- February 17, 2005
- Defines a vision for the future of recreational fisheries
- Opportunity for States and NOAA to work together
- New management techniques
- Two consultations per year on data
- Data: computerized & comparable
- Coordinate joint research projects
- Regional implementation teams
- Enforcement

- http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/recfsh/strategy.htm

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Enforcement

- Cooperative Enforcement Program increases federal patrols and strengthens state resources
- Joint Enforcement Agreements with 25 states
- .25 M hours of federal patrols conducted by states
- States received over $36 million for patrols, infrastructure, and conservation mission
- Partnership allows for coordination, communication and protection of living marine resources

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Magnuson-Stevens Act

- Current system generally works well
- Reauthorization
- Improvements in some areas
- Ecosystem management
- Council representation
- Reducing overcapacity
- IFQs and dedicated access privileges
- Improved regional fisheries management

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Aquaculture

- Opportunities: satisfy rising demand for seafood, reduce trade deficit, enhance food security, replenish depleted species, provide coastal jobs
- Challenges: divergent views, balancing multiple uses, lack of regulatory framework
- President to propose offshore aquaculture legislation
- Grants authority to issue offshore aquaculture permits
- Provides environmental and other safeguards
- Supports development of offshore aquaculture
- Agency will consult with states before issuing permits
- Regulatory process will include ample opportunity for participation

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Other NOAA Services

- NOAA’s Ocean Service
- Coastal Zone Management
- Marine Navigation
- Tides and currents
- Spill response
- Harmful algal blooms
- NOAA’s National Weather Service
- Predictions/forecasts: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods
- NOAA Research
- Sea Grant partnerships
- NOAA Satellites and Information Service
- SARSAT
- Observations

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Wrap Up

- U.S. Ocean Action Plan—take advantage of high level attention
- Ecosystem approach to management—evolutionary and incremental
- Observations—science based fisheries management
- Fisheries management—State-Federal ***partnerships*** important to success

- NOAA: State Directors Meeting

## Questions?