Policy News
NOAA Fisheries announced final revisions to the guidelines that federal managers will use as they routinely update the nation’s marine fisheries plans. The revised federal fishery management guidelines, known as the National Standard 1 guidelines of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, are intended to provide more flexibility and be more effective in ending... Read More
WRDA is a critically important piece of legislation with regards to fish habitat projects, as well as to fish hatcheries and other important infrastructure projects. Its passage in both chambers is a positive step before Congress goes into recess. Check out local projects in your area, and find more information on each WRDA version visit... Read More
Please note that this event has been postponed and will be rescheduled soon. (Washington, D.C.) – NOAA Fisheries and the American Fisheries Society (AFS) will host a congressional issue briefing at 1:00 p.m. on October 15, 2016, in the Cannon House Office Building (Room 421) addressing the Agency policy and draft roadmap on ecosystem-based fisheries... Read More
Good news for fish and wildlife programs that have been underfunded for decades. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (HR5650) bill announced yesterday offers hope for bipartisan support that would vastly increase funding for state programs. —AFS Policy Director Tom Bigford Washington, DC (July 7, 2016) –Yesterday, Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced the... Read More
This column has many inspirations, including a drought discussion this past February organized by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the March 2016 White House Water Summit, my own worries about how new hydrologic patterns will affect fish, and a talk by Ellen Gilinsky, senior policy advisor in the US EPA Office of Water. Read More
Congressional Briefing Features USGS Climate Research AFS organized a special briefing on June 13, 2016, for congressional staff and others interested in research on “Climate Change and Inland Fish,” a priority of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. About 35 attendees heard presentations by four panelists, introduced by Doug Beard... Read More
AFS Briefing Discusses Data’s Impact on Conservation Efforts AFS held a briefing on June 10th, 2016 at one of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee’s briefing rooms to discuss geospatial tools that enable natural resource managers and their partners to implement targeted projects that advance smart conservation of aquatic ecosystems. AFS brought in three agency representatives... Read More
By Thomas Bigford By definition, water is a vital factor in maintaining an aquatic ecosystem, especially one with abundant fish. But that simplistic statement obscures the complicated realities of a healthy water body. Each species needs its predetermined blend of water quantity, quality, and chemistry. When aquatic systems are compromised by human intervention or natural... Read More
Every four to eight years (more often eight), an opportunity arises for a change in the U.S. presidential administration. This “changing of the guard” is not only a fantastic display of American democracy in action but is also a great opportunity to either capitalize on the progress that has been made within the previous administration... Read More
If walls and fish could talk, I suspect they’d have a strained conversation. Unfortunately, neither fish nor walls were interviewed for this column, so the following is based on 40 years of my personal observations. There has been much talk in recent years about living shorelines, which trend toward using natural materials and native species... Read More
