U.S. fish stocks up, overfishing down

WASHINGTON, June 16 (UPI) -- U.S. government officials report progress in restoring fish stocks, as four were fully rebuilt in 2003 and 10 species were removed from the overfished list.

Overfishing practices were also stopped for another five fish species, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a report Wednesday.

"The American public can feel confident that U.S. fisheries are becoming more sustainable each year as we rebuild fish stocks that were once overfished," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA's administrator.

The report shows fisheries management programs are successfully restoring the country's marine resources while providing important economic opportunities for fisheries, officials said.

An overfished stock is one where the population of a species is too low to reproduce effectively in the presence of harsh harvesting conditions.

Of 894 federally managed fish stocks, 76 are classified as being overfished and 60 are experiencing overfishing.