Marine Conservation Critique of the United States

Over 71 percent of our planet is covered by oceans containing millions of different species of life which are now in danger of overfishing, pollution, and rising temperatures. Throughout the industrial revolution, humans have found new and more efficient ways of collecting resources from the oceans; the most prevalent resources include food, fossil fuel, and raw materials. With this extraction of natural resources, humans have caused many disruptions to the preexisting ecosystems of the oceans. Recently in the 21st century, people are realizing the major impacts these practices are causing. In the United States, marine ecosystems provide millions of citizens with food, work, security, recreation, and cultural identity. Fish have been a staple protein source for humans throughout history but with the increasing population of the world, the oceans are no longer able to keep up with this heightened demand. It was not until the 1960s, when the United States government passed it’s first legislation protecting marine life with the humpback whale species being on the brink of extinction. Then later in that decade, the first “Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas” was held to discuss the environmental impacts of commercial and recreational fishermen were having on the local ecosystems. This convention kickstarted a greater awareness of harmful practices that were taking place in the oceans allowing more legislation to be passed in order to protect the planet’s marine ecosystems. Over the last 60 years of research and quantitative data, many laws have been passed in order to protect the oceans including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act, although revisions need to be made to combat rising issues that are currently plaguing the oceans. 

Human exploitation of fishing, polluting, and greenhouse gasses are currently distressing marine ecosystems more than any other harmful practices. Fishing is one of the leading causes of population decline in all maritime species. Catching fish is not bad for the oceans because all species in the ecosystem have natural predators within their respective food chains but the issue arises when fishermen are catching fish faster than they can repopulate. This abuse of overfishing then no longer becomes sustainable by itself due to low populations and the reduced reproduction rate of species. Another harmful act is pollution which is the introduction of a substance from humans that has a negative or poisonous affect on an environment. This contamination is directly sourced from the negligence of humans on the ocean and in coastal regions. This can include runoff, littering, intentional dumping, spills, and mining which are some of the many ways people contribute to the rising levels of pollution in the ocean. Not only does pollution directly affect marine species, but it also indirectly affects humans in their everyday lives. Marine species may suffer from pollution by cancer, behavior, reproduction, and malnutrition. These pollutants in the water make their way back to humans when they consume fish during their meals because small bait fish are eating plastics and harmful organisms that are then being eaten by larger predators. These predators eventually make their way to human consumption, leading to long-term health problems such as cancer and birth defects. Another substance that humans consume are fossil fuels which have drastically increased the amount of greenhouse gases within our planet that currently trap heat, rising the temperatures of the oceans. Carbon dioxide, one of the most prevalent greenhouse gasses excreted by humans, has drastically increased the acidity within the ocean water and if it continues to rise, could lead to a mass extinction of many marine species. People have failed the oceans by putting their own selfish needs above the health of the planet. The following acts aim to provide assistance and reassurance so that people do not cause irreversible damage to the overall ecosystem of the oceans. 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (or MSA for short) has been an effective law that regulates and sustains fish populations but it needs to be revised for today’s world. The MSA was created in order to make clear, defined catch limits that held fishermen accountable under federal law. It was enacted in 1976 to phase out foreign fishing activity in U.S. waters and encourage the expansion of the American fishing industry while minimizing the threat of overfishing. In order to ensure both commercial and recreational fishermen were catching only fish approved by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the NOAA created accountability measures that included a combination of size limits (imperial inches), trip limits, gear restrictions, and seasonal closures. All federal and commercial fishing companies operate under these strict catch limits in order to maintain their annual fishing permits that are distributed by the government. Since its enactment in 1976, the MSA has had two major updates in 1996 and 2006 due to environmental changes. During the 1996 revision, the NOAA correctly recognized the population decrease in many species and created “science based timelines” to stop the abundant overfishing in order to allow the fish to rebuild their populations. Overall, the revision was successful mainly due to the support of recreational and commercial fishermen who also recognized the drastic decrease in catch yields per trip. This clear recognition of decreased populations with both parties allowed fish to rebuild their numbers and aid the food chain of the existing ecosystems. In 2006, the NOAA acknowledged that the oceans were once again in distress due to the increased awareness of the outcomes from climate change and pollution. This led to an emphasis on data collection in order to protect species with quantitative analysis. Commercial fishermen were now forced to disclose the details of their catches to the NOAA including amount, size, and gender. Although a beneficial plan, there were many accounts of fishermen not being altruistic and altering their data for profit. By the end of 2016, only about eight percent of approximately 390 annual catch laws were exceeded, proving that the MSA was indeed regulating the health of the different fish populations.Almost all of the regulated species protected under the MSA have stayed near or exceeded the minimum amount needed for the fish species to remain productive and reproduce. The MSA has allowed fish species to remain sustainable for both feeding people and providing a sound structure to the ecosystem. It has been 16 years since the last reauthorization of the MSA, which desperately needs a change to combat the increase in climate change and pollution plaguing the oceans. The NOAA needs to create an even larger emphasis on correlational studies seeking the effects of the teratogens in the water. The NOAA also needs to have research teams to interrogate the populations of the fish and establish new accountability measures that ensure the survival and health of fish populations. With these goals, they should aim to achieve a goal of sustainable, affordable seafood for Americans while also bolstering the economy of the fishing industry. Overall, the shortcomings of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act are negligent compared to the success they have had on maintaining the populations of global fish species. With a few slight adjustments,the MSA can continue its success in marine conservation. 

The Endangered Species Act has significantly protected marine wildlife in the past 50 years that otherwise would be extinct. Passed in 1973, the ESA’s goal is to protect endangered species, threatened species, and critical habitats in order to increase the longevity of different marine life. Endangered species are considered a top priority by having a significantly below average population to the point where reproduction rates are barely able to maintain their population. Threatened species are species that are likely to be categorized as being endangered within the near future because of a noticeable decrease within their populations. Under this law, any species outside of US waters is considered a foreign species and is also protected, making it illegal to bring any animal under this act onto the shores of the United States. The ESA is responsible for protecting many now endangered marine mammals including polar bears, walruses, sea otters, manatees. It also considers other species such as sea turtles and atlantic salmon. It is prohibited and punishable by fine or jail time to harass, harm, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect species that are described under the ESA. This serves as a deterrent for any actions taken against the animals and organisms that are already struggling to survive due to humanity’s impact on the ocean. President Richard Nixon recognized this concern saying, "Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed," during the signing the Endangered Species Act. Without the protection laws that are currently in place, most of the indeginous plants and marine life would have gone extinct as a result of overfishing and the lack of awareness of the environment. Less than one percent of the species under the ESA has gone extinct since its enactment in 1973. This is a major success because without these species being in the ecosystem, the natural food chain would be unbalanced causing many other issues to arise. The ESA monitors many marine species and continues to add to the list every year. The more data researchers are able to collect every year, the more information they are able to apply in legislation that could further protect these species. In order to insure the survival of species under the ESA, there should be rules under the MSA for the direct destruction of the these species ensuring that they have a constant food supply allowing for a growth in population. More critical habitats such as reefs and mating grounds should be more closely regulated to also increase population rates among ESA species. Predominantly, the Endangered Species Act has provided safety for many species from direct human manipulation. But with more regulations to the overall factors of survival for these species will steadily increase the populations of the species under the jurisdiction of the ESA. 

Although it started with good intentions, the National Environmental Policy Act still has shortcomings when involved with protecting marine ecosystems. Established in 1969, the NEP requires federal agencies to integrate environmental outcomes into the decision-making processes for major proposed actions. The primary goal is to take a more comprehensive approach to the decision making process that evaluates all of the environmental factors impacts of an action. The NEP Act also incorporates the public as a part of these decisions allowing smaller voices to be heard and find the problem or solution from first hand accounts. Citizens aid in making decisions on permit applications, adopting federal land management actions, constructing highways and other publicly-owned facilities. The NEP act has more than 40 laws and policies for implementing and enforcing sustainable practice for marine resources. It also has over 40 laws under the act that aim to protect against unregulated fishing, permits, illegal fish and wildlife trading. Although the NEP act was made altruistic with intentions and has successfully protected many habitats and species, it is highly prone to corruption. Unfortunately, people still will build anything as long as their gain is significantly better than the harm that they would cause to the marine ecosystem. For example, a marina could be built that would bolster the local economy but be highly destructive to the pre-existing ecosystem. Another example would include illegal fishing that are not permitted and sold at a significantly reduced price disrupting the already depleting fishing economy. Money and personal gain could come first to the wrong people and the ocean environment will be left behind. This is why the NEP employes many different types of personnel in order to make informed decisions that are both beneficial to people and the environment. 

Many laws have been passed in order to protect the oceans including Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act in order to better serve the environment and protect marine organisms. Although these laws have had a significant impact towards protecting the environment, there are necessary revisions that should be in place to combat these unfavorable issues that are currently killing the oceans. Without these acts, many species of fish that have been alive for millions of years would be extinct from overfishing, pollution, and acidity in the oceans. Without the NEP act, many marine ecosystems would have been destroyed leading to a population shortage of many different species of fish in the coastal areas. These laws are not concrete and should adapt to the current situation in order to more advantageously cater to marine life. The government is not the only organization that can help conserve marine life; everyday citizens can help even in the smallest ways. By using fewer single-use plastic products, a person can diminish the chances of those materials from finding its way into the ocean. Car sharing or riding a bike for short distances can dramatically decrease the amount of carbon dioxide a person releases into the atmosphere, in turn slowing down the process of ocean acidification. People who eat seafood should do research to find sustainably sourced fish that is caught under the regulations of MSA act. These simple acts are some of the many ways everyday people are able to give back to the environment. With proper conservation acts, humans can secure a more sustainable future

Sources

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