When explaining how politics work, Chris Matthews on TV quoted the American satirist, H.L. Mencken, "Never argue with a man whose job depends on not being convinced."
We are trying to convince NOAA/NMFS regulators that there are plenty of fish swimming in the ocean and they should leave us alone and let us work. But their work, indeed their very professional existence, depends on the "overfishing crisis" raging.
Without an "overfishing crisis" they could all go home. No "overfishing crisis," then there's no "stopping the overfishing crisis" industry.