Environmental Issues: Oceans

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All Documents in Oceans Tagged overfishing

Bringing Back the Fish
An Evaluation of U.S. Fisheries Rebuilding Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Report

Congress amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1996 to require that overfished ocean fish stocks be rebuilt in as short a time period as possible, not to exceed 10 years, with limited exceptions. As part of evaluating the success of these requirements, NRDC examined population trends of all U.S. ocean fish stocks that were subject to the requirements and for which sufficient information was available to assess rebuilding progress.

America’s Underwater Parks
The Marine Life Protection Act Safeguards Our Special Undersea Places
Fact Sheet

More than 130 years ago, the United States began to protect our most treasured areas on land by creating National Parks. It is now time to extend that same crucial protection to special marine areas by creating parks and wilderness reserves, called marine protected areas, in our oceans. The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) is creating a network of marine protected areas off California’s coast to sustain and revitalize the rich web of ocean life. Get document in pdf.

Conserving Wild Fisheries
Overview

The world's fisheries are in crisis. Years of chronic overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction have stripped our seas of much of their vitality and productivity. Without swift action, ocean ecosystems will continue to deteriorate -- and so too will the sustenance, jobs, and recreational pleasures they provide.

Healthy Oceans Need Smart Planning
Fact Sheet

We demand a lot from our oceans -- from fishing and tourism, to shipping and energy development. These human uses and the environmental needs of the sea have been governed haphazardly -- overseen by more than 140 laws and 20 agencies, each with different goals and often conflicting mandates. But our oceans and coasts are stressed from problems like pollution, depleted fish populations, dying coral, endangered species, warmer temperatures and ocean acidification. If not carried out wisely, growing industrial use of these waters will lead to “ocean sprawl,” further threatening the health of our valuable marine resources and jeopardizing the food, jobs and recreation our oceans provide. By planning ahead for our human needs from the sea we can reduce conflicts and keep ocean waters and life healthy. Get document in pdf.

Cabo Pulmo: Protecting Baja California's Thriving Coral Reef from Massive Tourism Development
Fact Sheet

Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, is home to the only living hard coral reef in the Gulf of California. Teeming with marine life, it is one of the healthiest marine reserves in the world. But Spanish developer Hansa Urbana plans to build a colossal tourism and real estate complex right next door, which would devastate the park's fragile ecosystem. To protect the reef and its marine life, NRDC is partnering with local and international groups in a multi-faceted campaign to stop Hansa Urbana and create a sustainable, long-term development plan for the area. Get document in pdf.

Reviving Our Oceans
Changing the way we think about and manage our oceans can help avert a crisis.
Overview

Changing the way we think about and manage our oceans can help avert a crisis.

Underwater Parks
Protected areas in the oceans are as spectacular -- and important -- as national parks on land
Overview

For more than a century, America has been protecting its most vital and beloved landscapes as national parks. But the fish, coral reefs and kelp forests of our oceans receive almost none of these protections, despite growing threats to marine life.

Give Swordfish a Break
Conservation campaign helped restore North Atlantic swordfish and provided an example for future efforts.
News

After a two-and-a-half-year campaign led by NRDC and SeaWeb to restore swordfish populations in the north Atlantic, the federal government in August 2000 announced measures to protect juvenile north Atlantic swordfish from fishing.

Florida’s Coastal and Ocean Future
A Blueprint for Economic and Environmental Leadership
Issue Paper

With tourism, fishing, and recreational sport bringing billions of dollars into Florida each year, the coast is Florida's economic engine. This issue paper provides a blueprint for how local leaders and decision makers can -- and must -- take action to protect Florida’s marine and coastal ecosystems.

Protecting Ocean Habitat from Bottom Trawling
Halting this underwater version of strip-mining in sensitive areas can keep our oceans healthy and full of vibrant marine life.
Overview

Halting this underwater version of strip-mining in sensitive areas can keep our oceans healthy and full of vibrant marine life.

New York State's Strained Ocean Resources
Commercially and culturally vital, New York's shorelines, beaches and fisheries are in trouble.
Fact Sheet

Healthy, diverse ocean ecosystems are an important part of New York's coastal heritage and economic well-being. Yet these ocean systems are severely strained from pollution, destruction of productive marine habitat, and overfishing.

Seafood Specials: Great Recipes that Help Save Oceans
Recipes from NRDC's home cooks and a few of our chef friends help you take the guesswork out of serving a healthy, feel-good seafood meal.
Guide

Recipes from NRDC's home cooks and a few of our chef friends help you take the guesswork out of serving a healthy, feel-good seafood meal.

Keeping Oceans Wild
How Marine Reserves Protect Our Living Seas
Report

Marine reserves are like national parks, and they are critical to keeping the world's oceans healthy and productive. This NRDC report demonstrates how placing important ocean areas off-limits is already reaping tremendous benefits, and shows how each of us can participate in protecting marine life and habitat for the future.

For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.
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