The Climate and Fisheries Adaptation (CAFA) Program is contributing to NOAA’s response to Executive Order 14008,Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.
Marina Cucuzza, a Knauss Fellow working jointly with NMFS and OAR on the CAFA Program, served as the lead author on NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-F/SPO-218: Synthesis of Public Comments to NOAA on Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Section 216(c): Recommendations on How to Make Fisheries and Protected Resources, Including Aquaculture, More Resilient to Climate Change. NMFS staff Heather Sagar and Roger Griffis were also co-authors of the report.
The authors reviewed, compiled and synthesized input gathered during a public comment period. Input came from environmental groups, fishing sectors (commercial, recreational, and aquaculture), state and tribal wildlife agencies, and academic and scientific entities. NOAA also gathered input via three national stakeholder listening sessions.
Comments primarily focused on science and management recommendations for fisheries and protected resources, but universally emphasizing that NOAA must lead collaborative, equitable, inclusive, and transparent efforts to make fisheries and protected resources more resilient to climate change. All responses were analyzed using a qualitative data analysis process that highlighted the range of input received, and organized the comments by major themes. The input received will be used to inform NOAA’s efforts to advance climate-informed fisheries management and protected resources conservation in a changing climate.
