Category: MS

National Wildlife Refuge Provide Economic Benefits Today,Conservation Benefits for Future GenerationsSecretary of the Interior Gale Norton today released a report that showsrecreational use on national wildlife refuges generated almost $1.4 billionin total economic activity during the 2004 fiscal year. The report, Bankingon Nature 2004: The Economic Benefits to Local Communities of NationalWildlife Refuge Visitation, was […]

STATEMENT BY NTSB ACTING CHAIRMAN MARK V. ROSENKER ON INVESTIGATION OF SINKING OF THE ETHAN ALLENNational Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker issued the following statement today related to the progress of the Board’s investigation of the October 2 sinking of the Ethan Allen.Washington, DC –The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to […]

HURRICANE RITA TRIGGERS ADDITIONAL FISHERY FAILURE AND FISHERY RESOURCE DISASTER DECLARATION IN LOUISIANA AND TEXAS Oct. 4, 2005 — U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez today announced a formal determination of a fishery failure in Louisiana and Texas due to the devastation following Hurricane Rita. The affected area includes the Gulf of Mexico coastal areas of […]

Reward offered for identification of person(s) responsible for manateedeathThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $10,000 toany person who furnishes information which leads to an arrest, a criminalconviction, civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of property, of anyperson(s) responsible for the death or relating to the death of a WestIndian […]

Changes Affect Rod and Reel Fisheries for Bluefin Tuna Based on a review of dealer reports, daily landing trends, available quota, and the availability of bluefin tuna on the fishing grounds, the General category daily retention limit of two large medium or giant bluefin per vessel per day/trip will be extended through January 31, 2006. […]

Cooperative Efforts Protecting Coral Reef Ecosystems NOAA and U.S. Coral Reef Task Force partners are improving coral reef conservation efforts from federal to local levels according to a new report. The report, “Implementation of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy: Report on U.S. Coral Reef Agency Activities from 2002 to 2003,” highlights the activities of […]

Endangered Species Bill Passes in the House of Representatives On September 29, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3824, the “Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005“, by a vote of 226 to 193. Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, Rep. George Miller and six other House members proposed a substitute amendment that was […]

Shark Finning Ban Adopted in the Northwest Atlantic The latest in a series of international agreements to ban shark finning – the practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the carcass – has been adopted by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). This proposal was introduced by the United States and the European […]

NEW INDEX PROVIDES BENCHMARK FOR ATMOSPHERIC GREENHOUSE GASES Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., have developed an index that provides a simple means of tracking the annual increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The Annual Greenhouse Gas Index is based on an analysis of […]

Senate Passes Commerce, Justice Appropriations Bill Including $4.48 Billion for NOAA: On September 15th , by a margin of 91-4, the Senate passed the FY 2006 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations (CJS) bill (HR 2862), which includes funding for NOAA. NOAA was highly-touted during the debate, and received positive recognition from Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran […]