We are pleased to introduce NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan for 2022–2025. The plan tiers from the Department of Commerce Strategic Plan, which has one overarching vision: helping the American economy grow. It sets out NOAA Fisheries’ strategic goals and key strategies and informs the public about our important work.
The goals of this plan are focused on key statutes and the priorities of this Administration, including:
- Building a climate-ready nation, including resilient fisheries and coastal communities
- Ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. fishing and seafood industries
- Recovering and protecting marine species
- Continuing to build a mission-oriented, diverse workforce and to promote equity and environmental justice
More specifically, at NOAA Fisheries, we are focused on:
- Confronting climate change, expanding our science capabilities, supporting conservation initiatives, including America the Beautiful
- Protecting and conserving our marine resources
- Advancing equity and environmental justice
This plan defines our role as we confront the growing effects of climate change impacts on our conservation and management mission. As we confront these immense challenges, we will provide scientific information, tools, and capacity for resource managers and stakeholders to assess and reduce impacts, increase resilience, and help adapt to changing ocean conditions. Offshore wind energy development also plays an important role in U.S. efforts to combat the climate crisis and build a clean energy economy. In support of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NOAA Fisheries will continue to play an important regulatory role. We will focus on minimizing the impacts to ocean resources, critical habitats, and fishing opportunities throughout the planning, siting, and development stages.
Our mission is critical and consequential to the health and vitality of our communities. Increasing the competitiveness of the U.S. seafood industry to help make it more resilient to future market and environmental shocks. It will support domestic production and jobs and help ensure food security. We will prioritize equity and environmental justice by promoting programs, policies, and activities to address the disproportionately high and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related, and other cumulative impacts on disadvantaged communities.
