WELCOME TO BILL'S CORNER!

Dear Constituents,

This month is chock full of news about the big fish of the oceans – swordfish, billfish, tunas and sharks – which we refer to as the highly migratory species at NOAA Fisheries.

On the domestic front, I'm pleased to report on an important change we are considering that would increase our efficiency of managing Atlantic highly migratory species at NOAA Fisheries headquarters: combining the Atlantic billfish fishery management plan with the Atlantic tuna, swordfish and shark fishery management plan into a consolidated highly migratory species plan.

My vision is that we would be better equipped to monitor and manage commercial billfish bycatch and protect billfish essential habitats for a greater benefit to recreational fishermen. A consolidated plan would guarantee the recreational community a seat at the table when we discuss commercial fishing impacts on billfish. It also would allow us to analyze impacts across the fisheries, identify linkages between them and evaluate the entire range of fishing impacts to billfish under one plan.

This consolidation of regulations would, in no way, diminish the traditional gamefish status for billfish or shift the agency's management focus away from billfish. I believe this change would help us better meet the needs and expectations of our constituents for a higher level of customer service and timeliness.

On a related note, I'd like to invite you to watch a new documentary on billfish titled, "Billfish: A Challenge for Survival" the week of Earth Day (April 20th) on local PBS stations throughout the country. This program was developed by Broadcast Quality, an independent film company to increase the public's awareness of the amazing and beautiful billfishes. My deputy, Dr. Rebecca Lent, was interviewed for the piece along with other scientists, policymakers, fishermen, academics, and conservationists to talk about some of the challenges we face in rebuilding and protecting billfish populations. By all accounts from those who have previewed the show it is a must-see, and we're all looking forward to watching it later this month. Please check your local PBS listings for specific air times.

Also the week of April 20th, we'll be sending a delegation to Japan to attend a special ICCAT workshop on integrating Atlantic bluefin tuna management. You'll remember back in the fall of 2004 the U.S. hosted the annual ICCAT meeting in New Orleans, where we successfully negotiated an international ban on the wasteful practice of shark finning. ICCAT member countries have until this summer to comply with that new rule, and we're looking forward to a status report on how many countries are now onboard.

Another thing we pushed for in the fall and will be advocating this month in Japan is a more integrative approach to managing bluefin tuna in the Atlantic. Available scientific data and literature support the U.S. argument that there is significant mixing between the eastern and western Atlantic stocks of bluefin tuna. Although the United States has been complying with restrictive catch quotas for many years, we believe overfishing of the stock in the eastern Atlantic is hindering the rebuilding process for our stock in the western Atlantic. Since we believe the current division of the stock for management purposes is not biologically realistic, we are looking to ICCAT for a more equitable and scientifically supported management approach that would consider these stocks as a whole for rationing international quotas. It would result in better conservation and faster rebuilding of bluefin tuna, and could give the United States a more equitable portion of the catch each year.

In closing, I'd like to note that NOAA is a supporter of the 4th International Billfish Symposium, scheduled for October 31 - November 3, 2005 on Santa Catalina Island, California. The past three symposia have contributed an immense amount of scientific knowledge to help us better understand and manage billfish and swordfish, and we are proud to be a major sponsor of this initiative. Organizers are accepting abstracts from potential participants, and the deadline for early registration at a discounted rate is May 15th, so be sure to visit the symposium Web site for more information.

References

Billfish Documentary for PBS

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

Highly Migratory Species Consolidation

4th International Billfish Symposium