The following statement on Federal fisheries law was issued by the Northeast Seafood Coalition on October 29, 2009. Federal law has set fisheries up to fail in New England and across the nation.
Setting fishing rates at precautionary levels which end overfishing and over the long term produce a biomass size that is reflective of the biology and takes into account population dynamics of each species is rational. However, setting arbitrary rebuilding time-frames for doing so, as is required by the law, is illogical.
The new federal requirements signed into law in 2007 hold the fishing industry 100% accountable for the shortcomings of Mother Nature and the limitations of the science. Unfortunately, the greater level of uncertainty contained in the science, and Mother Nature’s inability to comply with the law, the more draconian the regulations have and will continue to become.
Adding to the pain is regional policy makers’ unwillingness to embrace the discretion provided to them under the law. When scientific information is in question, regional policy makers have the ability to end overfishing as more consideration is made on an appropriate rebuilding plan. The new law may be unrealistic but it does not mandate self-inflicted wounds.
It’s time we all admit that the law is misguided and work together to strike a balance which is good for the fish and good for the fishermen.