Because fish have long been considered an important source of food, the fisheries were the first renewable resource to receive public attention in the United States. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has existed as such since 1970, but the original Office of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries was created over 100 years ago, signed into law in 1871 by President Ulysses S. Grant. This office was charged with the study of "the decrease of the food fishes of the seacoasts and lakes of the United States, and to suggest remedial measures." From the beginning, the federal fishery agency has been granted broad powers to study aquatic resources ranging from coastal shallow waters to offshore deep-water habitats.

Worldwide, humans get an average of 16% of their dietary animal protein from fish and shellfish. With human populations ever increasing, the demand for and marketing of seafood has steadily increased, rising over...