Sustaining Our Fisheries

Fishing puts seafood on tables nationwide, provides people from across the country with jobs and recreational opportunities, and supports cultural practices of Indigenous peoples. In fact, United States marine fisheries are the largest in the world—covering 4.4 million square miles of ocean. Commercial and recreational fishing combined support 1.7 million jobs and produce $253 billion in sales. To keep these industries thriving, it is essential our fisheries are sustainable.

NOAA is vital to ensuring that sustainable fisheries and their habitats are productive, climate-ready and resilient long-term.

• NOAA studies and assesses nearly 500 fish stocks to enable their conservation and sustainable management. The agency also works with the regional fishery management councils to set guidance for the fishing industry.
• NOAA oversees more than 3.36 million square miles of ocean, working to sustainably manage fish populations and protect threatened marine species.
• Since 1992, NOAA has contributed more than $750 million to implement 3,300 projects, which have restored more than 152,000 acres of habitat and opened more than 6,700 stream miles for fish migration.
• Since 2000, NOAA has worked with scientists, managers, and fishermen to rebuild 49 fish populations back to healthy levels after being overfished.
• NOAA works to bring climate and ecosystem information to bear, to support decision-making to reduce the impacts of climate change, build resilience of fish stocks, and sustain our marine resources.

Real stories of how NOAA sustains our fisheries: