WELCOME TO BILL'S CORNER!March, 2005 | (archive)Dear Constituents: I would like to invite you to attend an important public event taking place here in Washington, D.C., later this month. NOAA and the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils will gather a diverse group of constituents together March 24-26 for a robust dialogue on key fisheries management issues. The "Managing Our Nation's Fisheries II" conference will build on the first conference held in November 2003. While that conference identified issues, defined the management process and highlighted fisheries management accomplishments, the purpose of this conference is to focus on the future of fisheries policy for America. Important change is underway for U.S. fisheries policy, as we work to advance our science and management programs. There has been enormous momentum building for a shift in fisheries management strategies toward ecosystem and market share programs, and NOAA is working with the regional councils to make these advancements become a reality. The public also has asked for larger investments in fisheries research and science, and a bigger commitment to the development of marine protected areas. The conference panels are designed to address these issues, in addition to progress made and remaining challenges with our fisheries rebuilding programs. One topic of considerable public interest that we will address is fisheries governance, with a focus on the regional council process for managing fisheries. As I said before, change is already in motion. In late 2004, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released its report outlining 212 recommendations for improving our nation's ocean policies. Some of these recommendations focused on fisheries, while others were broader in scope. The Commission's goal was to offer the President and the Congress a roadmap for a coordinated and comprehensive approach to managing the oceans. In December 2004, the President responded to the Commission’s report when he unveiled an Ocean Action Plan; his vision for how to carry out the recommendations. Congress will consider all this information, including the dialogue we generate at the national conference this month, and decide how best to move forward with reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the legislative authority for fisheries management in the United States. Several Congressional Bills attempting to address the Commission's recommendations were introduced during the 108th Congress and are likely to be reintroduced again this year. With input from policymakers, scientists, fishermen and environmentalists, the "Managing Our Nation's Fisheries" conference promises to generate ideas to aid in the reauthorization process. The conference panels are developed around these key issues:
The conference agenda, list of panelists, press releases, and registration information are available on the conference Web site. Advanced registration is required to attend, so be sure to go to the conference site and let us know you plan to come. If you can’t attend but are interested in the issues, check the Web site in a couple of months for the proceedings document. The "Managing Our Nation's Fisheries" conference will take place at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street, Washington D.C. Late March is a great time to visit the nation's capital. Hopefully, we'll have the winter snow behind us and be knee-deep in cherry blossoms! I hope to see many of you at the conference later this month. Until then, stay safe and warm.  Bill Hogarth Director, National Marine Fisheries Service References NOAA's Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization Site U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's "Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century" NOAA's 109th Congress Fisheries Legislation of Interest Site National Park Service's D.C. Cherry Blossom Site
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