>>> SO HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A

MEN HATING FISH?

CHANCES ARE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY

ARE, BUNKERFISH, AMONG OTHER

THINGS USED AS BAIT, QUITE

POSSIBLY MOST IMPORTANT FISH IN

THE SEA.

BACK IN THE 1950s POPULATION

DRASTICALLY DECLINED ONCE WE GET

BETTER AT CATCHING THEM.

SINCE TAKEN DECADES TO BRING THE

FISH POPULATION BACK TO WHERE

THEY ARE NOW, SEEING BENEFITS TO

OUR LOCAL MARINE LIFE AND

ECONOMY.

BUT IN DANGER OF BEING

OVERFISHED AGAIN.

AS PART OF THE MULTIMEDIA PUBLIC

INITIATIVE, PERIL AND PROMISE,

CLIMATE CHANGE, LOOK AT WHY THE

FISH ARE IMPORTANT, HOW TO DO IT

AND MAINTAIN THE NEW YORK

COASTAL INDUSTRY.

NEW YORK OCEANS PROGRAM DIRECTOR

FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> TELL US WHAT ARE THESE FISH?

>> IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY,

CALL THEM BUNKER.

NOT IMPRESSIVE LOOKING.

NOT AS COOL AS SHARK OR STRIPED

BASS.

BUT THINK ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN

THE ECOSYSTEM AND CONTEXT, IT'S

AMAZING WHAT THEY CAN DO.

>> I SAID MIGHT BE MOST

IMPORTANT FISH AROUND.

PEOPLE PROBABLY LISTENING TO

THAT, LITTLE TINIES IN THE SAND

AND RIVER?

ECOSYSTEM, ROLE THEY PLAY?

>> OCCURRED IN HIGH ABUNDANCES,

FILTER PLANKTON IN THE WATER,

LIVE UP TO TEN YEARS, GROW ABOUT

A FOOT.

EVERYTHING THAT FLIES OR SWIMS

IN THE COASTAL WATERS, BAIZE AND

HARBORS EATS THEM AT SOME POINT.

>> SOURCE OF NUTRITION FOR

ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE.

>> DO IT BY TURNING LITTLE

PLANKTON INTO SOMETHING

EVERYTHING FROM SHARK TO WHALE

CAN EAT.

>> ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE

ECONOMY.

WHAT ROLE DO THEY PLAY IN THE

ECONOMY?

>> AS BASE OF THE FOOD WEB,

SUPPORTS A LOT OF SPORT

FISHERIES, STRIPED BASS

FISHERIES IS BIG IN NEW YORK AND

NEW JERSEY.

>> USING FOR BAIT.

>> AND SCHOOLS OF BLUEFISH.

>> COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN RELY ON

THIS AS SOURCE OF INCOME?

>> TURNS OUT LITTLE FISH THAT

PEOPLE DON'T EAT IS LARGEST

FISHERY IN THE U.S. ATLANTIC

WATERS.

>> REALLY?

>> FISH ARE HARVESTED FOR BAIT,

20% OF THEM TO FEED THE LOBSTER

AND CRAB FISHERY, BUT 80% OF

THEM ARE HARVESTED TO MAKE

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS LIKE FISH

MEAL FOR PIG FOOD.

OMEGA, FATTY ACID PILLS PEOPLE

TAKE.

>> ALL COME FROM THAT.

LOOK BACK, IN THE '50s, ALMOST

FISHED FISHERY.

HAD TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES FOR

STEAM POWER AND AFTER THE WAR,

MODERN SHIPS WE SEE, EASY TO

FIND THE SCHOOLS OF FISH.

HARVESTED IN MASSIVE AMOUNTS AND

NO RULES AT ALL.

>> AS SAID IN THE INTRO, THEY

CAME BACK.

HOW AND WHY ARE THEY THREATENED

NOW.

>> IN THE '90s, A LOT OF

FISHERMAN IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

STARTED TO RING ALARM BELLS.

BUILT PARTNERSHIPS WITH

SCIENTISTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL

GROUPS TO HIGHLIGHT THEY WERE

DISAPPEARING AND SEEING EFFECTS

ON THE STRIPED BASS.

TOOK ANOTHER DECADE BUT 2012,

FIRST COASTWIDE CAP ON AMOUNTS

THAT COULD BE HARVESTED WAS PUT

IN PLACE.

RESULTS REMARKABLE WITH RECOVERY

THINGS WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE

IN NEW YORK.

>> WHAT IS HAPPENING TO

JEOPARDIZE IT?

>> SOME OF THE PROTECTIONS

ROLLED BACK, QUOTA INCREASED BY

THREE THREE SEPARATE TIMES.

WHETHER IS FEARED IS WAY THE

CATCHES ARE SET DOESN'T INCLUDE

THE WAY THEY'RE IN THE FOOD WEB.

PUT A VALUE ON WHAT WE CATCH BUT

NOT WHAT IS LEFT IN THE WATER.

>> LOOK AT -- BUT NOT HOW THEY

HELP EVERYTHING TO EXIST.

>> INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC

BENEFITS TO LEAVING THEM IN THE

WATER TO SUPPORT THE FISHERIES

AND RESURGENCE IN WHALES AND

WHALE WATCHING IN NEW YORK CITY.

>> WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

>> WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO GET

MANAGEMENT ALONG THE COAST

CHANGED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE VALUE

OF THE FISH WE LEAVE IN THE

WATER BEFORE WE SET THE

COASTWIDE LIMITS.

SHORTER TERM IN NEW YORK

SPECIFICALLY WE NEED GOVERNOR

AND NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE

TO PREVENT THE VESSELS THAT

CATCH MILLIONS AT AT TIME.

>> NOT JUST ONE GUY WITH NET.

KEEP THOSE BIG SHIPS OUT OF

NEW YORK STATE WATERS.

PROTECTS THE SPORT FISHERIES,

WHALES AND LOCAL BAYMEN WHO USE

SMALLER BAIT.

>> FASCINATING LOOK AT ISSUE

IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US BUT LOT

OF US DIDN'T KNOW IT EXISTED.

COUNT MYSELF IN IT.

GREW UP ON THE BEACH.

IT'S IMPORTANT.

HOPEFULLY TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS.

THANKS.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.