Improving compliance in US federal fisheries: An enforcement agency perspective

Fisheries enforcement is frequently overlooked in the U. S. federal fisheries management process. However, absent high levels of compliance, without fisheries enforcement even the most robust fisheries management plan may fail. Coupling past studies of compliance in fisheries with studies of regulatory enforcement, this paper identifies several measures for increasing the effectiveness of U. S. federal fisheries enforcement. Implementing these measures into the United States Coast Guard's fisheries law enforcement program will make the Agency's enforcement efforts more effective, potentially increasing the level of compliance in federal fisheries.