NOAA FISHERIES UPDATES FISH STOCK SUSTAINABILITY INDEX

NOAA Fisheries updates Fish Stock Sustainability Index. NOAA Fisheries of the USA has made updates to the Fish Stock Sustainability Index used to measure fishery performance.

The Fish Stock Sustainability Index is a quarterly index that measures the performance of certain fish stocks. To make sure the index continues to focus on the most important commercial and recreational stocks, they’ve revised the list of included stocks.

The index allows for a quick, clear snapshot of the performance of U.S. fishery management. When the status of a commercially or recreationally important stock improves (e.g., no longer subject to overfishing, not overfished, or rebuilt), the total index score increases.

The index tracks a total of 175 fish stocks, down from 199 stocks in the previous version. The stocks in the index—selected for their importance to domestic fisheries—represent more than 80 percent of total U.S. fishing catch.

NOAA Fisheries tracks the status of all international and domestic stocks contained in federal fishery management plans whether or not they meet criteria for inclusion in the FSSI.

When they developed the index in 2005, it included 230 fish stocks and the maximum index score was 920 points. In 2015, they trimmed it to 199 stocks and a maximum score of 1,000.

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