SARP - Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership

	Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan - PDF
	Conserving our Southeastern Aquatic Habitat (The condensed version of the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan) - PDF

Mission

[Shrimp boat from the air] The Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) was initiated in 2001 to address the myriad issues related to the management of aquatic resources in the southeastern United States. These issues include significant threats to the aquatic resources of the Southeast, as illustrated by the fact that 34% of North American fish species and 90% of the native mussel species designated as endangered, threatened, or of special concern are found in the Southeast. Given these stark realities, and the predicted increased pressure on Southeast aquatic resources in the future, SARP was established with the following mission:

With partners, protect, conserve, and restore aquatic resources including habitats throughout the Southeast, for the continuing benefit, use, and enjoyment of the American people.

The Partnership

This partnership envisions a southeastern United States with healthy and diverse aquatic ecosystems that support sustainable public use. The SARP was formed under the realization that the individual members lack sufficient resources to effectively meet the aquatic resource management and conservation challenges throughout the Southeast on a landscape basis and must therefore work cooperatively to design a process that will attain the desired common goals.

The intent of the SARP is to develop State and Federal partnerships that will extend beyond the traditional boundaries of fishery resource management agencies and will establish a commitment to truly work together for the benefit of the resource. It will shift the focus beyond what are individual Federal and State responsibilities to what are joint responsibilities to the resource. Long term success of this partnership will require a move to a higher level of coordination built upon mutual trust that will focus on making things happen at the ground level. The SARP is comprised of representatives from:

14 southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia; inland and marine divisions in most coastal states).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC), and the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management councils (GMFMC and SAFMC).
All Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) states are invited to participate.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), grassroots groups, industry, business, and private sector interests are also invited to participate.

Key Focus Areas

[Examining fish in the lab] SARP focuses on six key issue areas of greatest concern and interest to the Southeast:

Public Use
Fishery Mitigation
Imperiled Fish and Aquatic Species Recovery
Inter-jurisdictional Fisheries
Aquatic Habitat Conservation
Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)

The Commitment

Working cooperatively we can attain the desired goals of healthy and diverse aquatic ecosystems that support sustainable public use. To achieve this vision, the Partnership is committed to:

Protecting, restoring, and conserving aquatic resources and their habitats throughout the Southeast.
Restoration and management of healthy Southeastern aquatic resources and habitats, and encouragement of their wise use (fishing and boating).
Develop a better understanding of resource issues around the Southeast, for both the general public and resource managers.
Efficient and effective use of available human and fiscal resources.

Download the SARP Fact Sheet (pdf).

Download the SARP Strategic Plan (pdf).