Current NMFS social, cultural and economic data collection efforts - some of these links will take you to other pages on the NMFS site
Community
Profiles and studies on impacts of fishing regulations
NMFS workshops on social and cultural analysis
Laws and policies relevant to sustaining
fishing communities
Links
to federal and academic sites where information can be found on local
fishing communities around the nation
Links
to state, county, and local sites where information can be found on
local fishing communities around the nation
For
other NOAA initiatives on or based in communities also see the The Coastal Development Partnership, linked to , the Community-Based
Restoration Program (habitat restoration) and Local
Fisheries Knowledge Project (LFK)
EPA
Community-Based Environmental protection, including the Community
Cultural Profiling Guide: Understanding a Community's Sense of Place
For
a variety of links to sustainable/livable communities sites, both government
and private,
see The
Eco-Gateway Link Center. Choose
'Sustainability', then 'Sustainable and Livable Communities.'
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The ultimate goal of the NMFS is to facilitate the design and implementation
of Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) which support sustainable resource
use to foster sustainable communities. This goal is supported by both
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
National Environmental Policy Act
Under NEPA section 101(a), "it is the continuing policy of the Federal
Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, and other
concerned public and private organizations, to use all practicable
means and measures, including financial and technical assistance,
in a manner calculated to foster and promote the general welfare,
to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist
in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other
requirements of present and future generations of Americans."
NEPA also creates a Council on Environmental Quality whose tasks
include: "develop and recommend to the President national policies
to foster and promote the improvement of environmental quality to
meet the conservation, social, economic, health, and other requirements
and goals of the Nation" (section 202(4)).
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Under Magnuson-Stevens there are a variety of requirements related
to social, cultural and economic issues for fishermen and their
communities.
National Standard 8 (section 301(8)), for instance, requires that
: "Conservation and management measures shall, consistent with the
conservation requirements of this Act (including the prevention
of
overfishing and rebuilding of overfished stocks), take into account
the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities in order
to (A) provide for the sustained participation of such communities,
and (B) to the extent practicable, minimize adverse economic impacts
on such communities.
Section 303(b)(6) on limited entry requires examination of "(A) present
participation in the fishery, (B) historical fishing practices in,
and dependence on, the fishery, (C) the economics of the fishery,
(D) the capability of fishing vessels used in the fishery to engage
in other fisheries, (E) the cultural and social framework relevant
to the fishery and any affected fishing communities, and (F) any other
relevant considerations." Section 303(a)(9) on preparation of Fishery Impact Statements notes
they "shall assess, specify, and describe the likely effects, if any,
of the conservation and management measures on--(A) participants in
the fisheries and fishing communities affected by the plan or amendment;
and (B) participants in the fisheries conducted in adjacent areas
under the authority of another Council, after consultation with such
Council and representatives of those participants." |