The National Marine Fisheries Service - the federal agency responsible for ocean fishery conservation and management - has formally declared another west coast fish population successfully rebuilt. The announcement scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on December 19th notes that the coastwide lingcod population is at 64% of its unfished (virgin) level, well above the amount needed to sustain the stock.

"Not only is this good news for commercial and recreational fishermen and seafood processors, it also shows how the seafood industry working together with scientists and fishery managers helps conserve our valuable ocean resources while providing healthy food for consumers," said Rod Moore, Executive Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. "We do a lot to bring sustainable seafood to the public's table which does not get attention."

"In the case of lingcod, processors and fishermen participated in formal scientific reviews of stock assessments, worked with the Pacific Fishery Management Council to set sustainable catch levels and establish closed areas, and provided vessels for surveys. As a result, we have rebuilt fish populations four years earlier than originally predicted."

Other conservation actions taken by the seafood industry include:
* voluntary reductions in catch;
* testing new, selective, fishing gear;
* developing new survey methods for overfished species that are difficult to count using traditional tools;
* expanding research on juvenile rockfish;
* delaying season openings and modifying fishing areas to reduce bycatch and discards.

"Nutrition experts continue to say that eating fish is good for you and we want the American consumer to stay healthy," said Moore. "We want to use our ocean resources wisely, so you can count on the seafood industry to step forward when better science is needed."