1999 

 NATIONAL OVERVIEW 



There are many scientific elements that can be strengthened, and some may be unique to 

 each situation. A common one to most situations is to set up permanent monitoring pro- 

 grams to measure relative abundance from fishery-independent data. Such efforts should 

 improve the quality oi many stock assessments and would also serve as an improved basis 

 for the understanding of population dynamics. 



The outlook for the Nation's living marine resources depends in good part on the 

 management actions that are being taken at present. The decline in the abundance ot many 

 stocks in all U.S. regions during the past few decades was primarily the result ol overfishing 

 (sometimes compounded by environmental changes). The strengthened management mea- 

 sures, designed to reduce overfishing and begin rebuilding, that are being implemented 

 should result in an acceleration in the rate of improvement ot stock status and fishery 

 utilization levels. Their success depends on how effectively they can be implemented over 

 the foreseeable future. Short-term losses in yield are expected as an immediate cost of re- 

 building overfished stocks. However, judging from the remarkable ability ot many stocks 

 to recover from overfishing, the outlook is very positive over the long term, and should 

 result in the potential tor higher sustainable yields with reduced risk to the resources. 



Edwin S.Taylor fishing pier, 

 Folly Beach. South Caro- 

 lina. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Alverson, D. L., M. H. Freeberg, J. G. Pope, and S. A. Murawski. 1994. A global assessment of fisiieries bycatch 

 and discards. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 339, Food and Agriculture Organization ot the United 

 Nations, Rome, 233 p. 



FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 1997. Review of the state of world fishery resources: marine fisher- 

 ies. FAO Fisheries Circular No. 920, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 

 173 p. 



NRC (National Re.search Council). 1998. Improving fish stock a.ssessments. National Academy Press, Washing- 

 ton, D.C., 177 p. 



NRC (National Research Council). 1999a. Sharing the fish: toward a national policy on individual fishing 

 quotas. National Academy Press, Washington. D.C., 422 p. 



NRC (National Research Council). 1999b. Sustaining marme fisheries. National Academy Press, Washington, 

 D.C., 164 p. 



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