A lot of people believe that the real point of the new fishing regulations is less about ensuring sustainable fish stocks than it is about driving people out of the business.
And given the industry's past failures to speak with one voice, regulators and environmentalists aligned on the side of tighter catch limits on most species have been able to have their way for many years.
To date, regulators with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continue to defend the new system, saying that it will provide higher prices and more safety for commercial fishermen.
However, assurances do not reflect conditions at the dock or even in the retail fish markets, where fish from China and Alaska sell cheaper and in greater abundance than do fish taken from our own offshore waters.
What is needed immediately is a top-to-bottom analysis of how the new catch-share system is working.
If the goal is to drive half of the fishermen out of business, then the program appears to be working splendidly.
Read the complete editorial from The Standard-Times.