Homework 2

Homework #2 – EVSP330 – Fish and Wildlife Policies, Programs, and Issues Please respond to each question below. Cited sources, including textbook references ARE REQUIRED. Question 1. Explain what is meant by "public trust" as it relates to fisheries in the EEZ. (25 points) Be sure to cite the sources used to develop your answer. Public Trust can mean a few different things. In our case, public trust in the Exclusive Economic Zone refers to the public or Americans trust. This means the public (Americans) own the fish and are entrusted with them. However, a voice is needed. This is where the government comes into play. They are our voice and aid in the doctrine of common law. This entitles the public “visual right to the courts that express that we have the ownership right and obligations to fisheries.” (Hanna, 2000, p.61) In all this entails that the fisheries are trusted to us, the public. Witch is in the Economic Zone, the area for us, with a given voice from the government to aid in a strong back bone to enforce the laws set forth to protect the fish and help with our fisheries and our economics. References Hanna, S. (2000). Fishing grounds: defining a new era for American fisheries management. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. Question 2. Summarize in detail the current (? 2011) status of U.S. Fisheries. Briefly describe 2 actions that can potentially improve the stocks of U.S. Fisheries. (25 points) For Years fisheries have had their ups and downs. At the beginning it was booming and then issues started arising. The early 2000 fisheries were in trouble. Since 2011 and up, they have been working on improving the fisheries. This is about overfishing, by-catching and some other issues that were depleting stocks. Since 1996 reports have been made on the fisheries to help monitor the stocks. Previously to 2011 management has had issues with constantly changing times and climate. Finally, they reached a somewhat stand still with improvements. This is about rebuilding. From 2016, “Forty-two stocks or stock complexes are currently in rebuilding plans.” (Fisheries, 2017) This is needed for us to continue to improve fisheries. Therefore, we need actions to improve the stocks of U.S. fisheries. One action, is to stop over fishing. When we over fish, it leaves nothing to be rebuilt with. Yes, some do not care, and some do not know. This is were the quarterly reports come into play. Ones that care, can see what fisheries are being over fished. It also provides locations for our fish and wildlife officers to monitor to aid in the stoppage of overfishing. Another action would be working together to rebuild stocks and to enforce annual catch limits. This would allow serval different ideas and theories combined to stop the depletions and to ensure over fishing is not happening. To improve the stocks, we need to continue to improve monitoring (reports), not over fishing, working together, annual catch limits, and rebuilding strategies. References Fisheries, N. (2017). 2016 Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries. Retrieved November 25, 2017, from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/laws-and-policies/2016-report-congress-status-us-fisheries Fisheries, O. O. (2013, July 03). Status of U.S. Fisheries. Retrieved November 25, 2017, from http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisheries/ Status of Stocks 2012 - National Marine Fisheries Service. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2017, from http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=19632D6F70BC46209CEA514F28776BDC&CID=04226F967C8767BE259564D37D81663D&rd=1&h=TEwIMjN5OYJyA3tJCnpDwc38Vu0cB4BCMjBtehJUoY8&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.nmfs.noaa.gov%2fsfa%2fstatusoffisheries%2f2012%2f2012_SOS_RTC.pdf&p=DevEx,5066.1 Question 3. Pick one stock that has changed status and discuss at least 2 explanations why it changed. (Note: You’ll likely have to find additional resources to find explanations). (25 points) Throughout my life I have eaten several various kinds of fish. One that seems to be the most constant and easiest to eat is albacore. In the past years Albacore had been one stock who’s species where at risk. According to the Guardian News (2011) “albacore tuna is close to being under threat, or will be threatened with extinction if conservation measures are not put in place to turn their fortunes around.” One reason that they were at risk was simple, over fishing. With over fishing being an issue, so was By-Catching. More Albacore were being caught than could repopulate. Another reason is methods for management was not evolving as quick as methods for catching them. This means that fisheries were being over exploited. These few reasons were almost the down fall of Albacore tuna. This sparked partnerships with other governments, stricter plans, and combating pirate fishing. With these new plans in place and time to enforce them it brought light to the NOAA Status of Stocks 2016 Annual Report. Albacore-North Atlantic was one of the few species on the Rebuilt list. This demonstrates that strict plans and partnerships can help rebuild stocks. References Association, P. (2011, July 07). More than half of tuna species at risk of extinction, say conservationists. Retrieved November 25, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jul/07/tuna-species-risk-extinction Albacore Tuna. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2017, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/albacore-tuna Status of Stocks 2016 - National Marine Fisheries Service. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2017, from http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=EE2EA54628584327836BE18DF3659FB3&CID=18A6E29DBD016A132F98E9D8BC076B56&rd=1&h=-RVpjHu6odOawNK77MPH42_44kjwlInXDSuv6vbR8Gg&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.nmfs.noaa.gov%2fsfa%2ffisheries_eco%2fstatus_of_fisheries%2farchive%2f2016%2fstatus-of-stocks-2016-web.pdf&p=DevEx,5067.1 Question 4. Discuss how government policy in the US towards Native Americans exists in the present day and how it influences Native American usage of wildlife. (25 points) Throughout history there has always been controversy. An issue since the beginning of the United States, has been land. Native Americans had occupied land and non-natives have come to inhibit it. This cause for regulations to be put into place. Over hundreds of years non-natives and natives have worked together to establish policies, regulations, and treaties. Native Americans had already posed the land and when they moved “the tribes possessed legal rights in their lands that the federal government was bound to respect.” (Freyfogle, 2012) This meant that “the tribes retained or reserved rights that they already possessed. Although the lands that they reserved became part of the United States and of the individual states, tribal property right were not created under federal or state law.” (Freyfogle, 2012) This influences Native American usage of wildlife were very little. According to Freyfogle (2012) “tribal members are able to hunt and fish free of limitations (including No Trespassing signs).” This means that Native Americans have more rights when it comes to hunting and fishing. It is the same as private property. The land was there private property and they gave up the land, but kept the rights for the use of wildlife. References Freyfogle, E. T., & Goble, D. D. (2012). Wildlife Law A Primer. Washington: Island Press. Haug, C. (2016). Native American Tribes & U.S. Government. Victoriana. Retrieved November 26, 2017, from http://www.victoriana.com/history/nativeamericans.html