by Ken Hinman, Wild Oceans President A rule to fully implement the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 had the ignominious honor of being the only proposed rulemaking left unfinished by the Department of Commerce before the change of Administrations in January. For four years, the National Marine Fisheries Service struggled with the issue of whether…
In this Spring 2017 edition of the Wild Oceans Horizon, we fondly remember the man who started it all. Chris Weld, a pioneer in the fisheries conservation movement and co-founder of Wild Oceans (then called the National Coalition for Marine Conservation), has left us, but his legacy lives on and continues to inspire and energize…
SENATORS INTRODUCE BILL TO PROTECT BILLFISH Amendment Clarifies Intent of 2012 Conservation Act February 16, 2017. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation yesterday to amend the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012, making it clear that the original intent of the BCA was to prohibit sales of any marlin, spearfish or sailfish in the mainland…
On February 1st, the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board met in Alexandria, Virginia to review public comment on an array of options for changing the way we manage what is perhaps the most important forage fish on the east coast, and to decide which options will go forward as part of Draft Amendment 3 later this…
Experience a spectacular evening at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center for the World Premiere of Ocean Frontiers III. “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” This quote sums up why Wild Oceans believes that it is so important for anglers to stay informed about Regional Ocean Action…
by Ken Hinman The Commission responsible for conserving Atlantic menhaden is seeking public comment on changes to the way this important east coast forage fish is managed with respect to its role in the ecosystem, as well as revisiting how the catch is allocated among fisheries from Maine to Florida. A Public Information Document (PID)…
by Ken Hinman, Wild Oceans President To fully implement the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012, NOAA Fisheries must enact a Final Rule. Before the Final Rule there must be a Proposed Rule. And before that, an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR). The ANPR was issued 3 1⁄2 years ago in April 2013. We’ve yet…
by Pam Lyons Gromen As 2016 comes to a close, enjoy our year-end edition of the Wild Oceans Horizon. We report Progress for People and Fish in our summary of the year’s accomplishments and also recognize the charitable foundations and individuals who generously contributed to our success. We are already hard at work for a…
by Theresa Labriola In September, the Pacific Fishery Management Council reversed an earlier decision to postpone permitting buoy gear in the swordfish fishery in favor of more research. Changing its mind, the Council has now decided to pursue authorization because five years of research already tells us that this new, highly selective gear can catch…