Fast Look Into The National Marine Fisheries Service

What is the National Marine Fisheries Service?

The National Marine Fisheries Service is a Federal agency that operates within the United States of America and a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as the Federal Department of Commerce. The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for the management, as well as the stewardship, of the country’s living marine resources and their habitat within the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone—a region which extends seaward 200 nautical miles from the United States’ coastline.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is headed by Dr. Jane Lubchenco—the Executive Agent of the National oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In recent years, the National marine Fisheries Service has fallen under intense controversy as a result of a strained relationship with the fishing industry. As a result of various complaints filed by the fishing industry, the United States Congress conducted a multi-part investigation, headed by the Commerce Department Inspector general, which revealed severe problems, including an egregious misuse of the department’s budget.

What does the National Marine Fisheries Service do?

Controversy aside, the National marine Fisheries Service uses tools and resources provided by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Using these supplies, the National marine Fisheries Service assess and predict the status of fish stocks, ensures compliance issues to meet fishery regulations and works to end those wasteful practices attached to the fishing industry.

The goals and procedures implemented by the National Marine Fisheries are constructed in alignment with the Maine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. As a result of the relationship with these Acts, the National marine Fisheries Service is also responsible for recovering protected marine species such as whales, sea turtles and wild salmon.

The National Marine Fisheries Service attempts to conserve and manage marine fisheries to promote the sustainability of our nation’s coastlines and fishing resources. Furthermore, the National Marine Fisheries Service coordinates the use of its resources and services to prevent lost economic potential relating to overfishing, the decline of species and degraded habitats.

Although the majority of coastal states and regions possess the authority to manage fisheries within near-shore waters, the National Marine Fisheries Service has the primary responsibility to manage and conserve marine fisheries throughout the United States’ exclusive economic zone that lies beyond state waters.

Government Agency of the Executive Branch:

Government agencies are defined as organizations, councils, and offices operating under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States of America; each federal agency retains specific administrative jurisdiction over specific facets latent within the operations of the United States Government.

The National Marine Fisheries Service functions as a government agency under the Executive Branch of the United States government, which is comprised of 3 total branches; in addition to the Executive branch – which is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of operational legislation existing within the United States of America – there also exists the Legislative and Judicial Branches.

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