Dr. Jane Lubchenco presides over a high-carbon fleet and regulatory legacy — without effective policies to address sustainablility. Under her governance, at $5 per gallon, seafood supply security will be at serious risk.
Jay Lindsay's recent article ("Fishing legacy fades from some New England ports," Aug. 16) and Richard Allen's op-ed ("How many boats can fish stocks support?" Aug. 24) reflect serious realities along the New England working waterfronts. Lindsay examines mounting damage to fisheries' industrial ports from ill-conceived regulation. In contrast, Allen cites historic precedent as he proposes to accept damage as de facto inevitable, even "rational."
But with the fleet designed for at most $1.20 per gallon, with decades of archaic federal regulations keeping it from evolving to match increasing operational costs, this industry is challenged by more than catch shares and consolidation. Put bluntly: Who will be operating at $5 a gallon?
Under increasing energy costs and limited catch, the future of fishing will favor harbors with the shortest steaming distance to the resource, including the marginalized ones in Lindsay's focus. It is typically the myriad of mom-and-pop operations that are the most agile responding to weather, markets and ecology.
Allen's large-vessel "consolidated" fleet, owned by a few, may claim textbook economies of scale, but will soon exhaust local stocks. It is penalized steaming longer distances from the few larger ports. And how flexible is it to shift gear and species?
Community socioeconomics certainly favor lots of small-scale, well-rooted stakeholders over a few corporate employees. And why preserve a local working waterfront for a distant board of directors?
So, what if we were to accept these hard dictates of industry sustainability to pursue much greener, leaner, "smart-sized" vessels that offer most flexibility at the least fuel-burn per pound?
What if we were to leverage this "greener" White House, federal ARRA funds, loan-guarantees and grants to upgrade fleet economics to match the resource of 2010, 2014 and beyond to preserve the number of operations and thus the industry's political relevance, as we protect families and communities?
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