Environmental Justice in Fisheries Management

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Examples of Council efforts and challenges across themes, as detailed in the May 2022 EEJ WG report.

A number of recent federal directives have highlighted equity and environmental justice (EEJ) as priorities within the federal government. In October 2021, the Council Coordination Committee (CCC) agreed to form a working group to evaluate, respond to, and inform EEJ efforts in the context of federal fisheries management. The working group provides a forum for information sharing and discussion of actions the Councils can take (individually or collectively) to reduce barriers to effective engagement, provide diverse representation in decision making, and address other EEJ objectives.

At the May 2022 CCC meeting, the EEJ Working Group presented its report on Equity and Environmental Justice in Fisheries Management. The report provides an overview of EEJ issues in fisheries management from a national and regional perspective and describes potential Council actions to address these problems.

After reviewing the WG’s report, the CCC tasked the group with developing terms of reference and exploring possible next steps (including a possible workshop and/or peer reviewed article). The WG presented its Recommendations to Address the May 2022 CCC Motion Regarding EEJ at the October 2022 CCC meeting. The CCC endorsed formation of a permanent EEJ WG and approved the draft terms of reference as presented.

Key Documents

EEJ Key Terms

Source: EEJ Working Group Report #1

  • “Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” — Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, 2016

  • “Equity means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.” – Executive Order 13985, Sec. 2

  • “The term underserved communities’ refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of ‘equity.’’’ - Executive Order 13985, Sec. 2.

  • Executive Order 14008 uses the phrase “disadvantaged communities” and describes them as “historically marginalized and overburdened” (Sec. 219). This term has been used in existing Federal and state programs to prioritize funding for environmental justice. The latest OMB interim guidance (7/21) provides an interim definition of community as “either a group of individuals living in geographic proximity to one another, or a geographically dispersed set of individuals (such as migrant workers or Native Americans), where either type of group experiences common conditions.” With respect to applying the term disadvantaged to communities it recommends using “appropriate data, indices, and screening tools to determine whether a specific community is disadvantaged based on a combination of variables.” It then provides a lengthy list of examples of these variables and concludes by noting: “In determining which variables to consider, agencies should consider the statutory authority for covered programs. In addition to the above definition of disadvantaged communities, geographic areas within Tribal jurisdictions should be included.”