6.4 Federal Conservation Partners
Fisheries strives to balance competing public needs and interest in the use and enjoyment of our oceans’ resources. Using the tools provided by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NOAA Fisheries assesses and predicts the status of fsh stocks, ensures compliance with fsheries regulations and works to reduce wasteful fshing practices. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries recovers protected marine species (e.g., whales, sea turtles) without unnecessarily impeding economic and recre- ational opportunities. Te NOAA Fisheries research and conservation priorities in North Carolina are highlighted below and information about programs and resources that support these priorities are described in Appendix L (page 1233). • Collect and analyze data describing the individual and population biology of living marine resources, with emphasis on exploited fsh species (e.g., snappers and groupers), coral reefs (e.g., fsh spawning aggregations), and protected resources (e.g., marine mammals and sea turtles).
• Conduct research to understand the structure and function of the southeast US conti- nental shelf large marine ecosystem.
• Assess fsh stocks, primarily in the Atlantic.
• Work to understand fsheries’ ecosystems, primarily in the Atlantic.
• Assess population and health of sea turtles and dolphins, primarily in the Atlantic.
• Conduct aging of reef fshes.
• Collect data and samples and conduct assessments with commercial menhaden fsher- ies and recreational headboat fsheries in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
6.4.6 US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) North Carolina is part of USEPA Region 4, which encompasses eight southeastern states and six Native American tribes. Te mission of USEPA is to protect human health and the environment and is accomplished through the following activities:
• Development and Enforcement of Regulations
• Awarding of Grants
• Study of Environmental Issues
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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