A feature by Mike Miliard of the Boston Phoenix looks at the world’s oceans with a focus on New England.
These are difficult issues facing the planet’s waters. We’re talking about three quarters of the Earth’s surface — some corners of which still aren’t well-explored. "All of these things are going on in varying degrees in varying places in the world’s oceans," says Dr. Brian Rothschild of UMass Dartmouth, "and they all have a different flavor to them."
And this part of the world, where the ocean is filled with so many species, and worth so much to so many, is especially tricky. "New England is the most difficult area in American fisheries," says Bob Vanasse of Saving Seafood. "I think most everyone will tell you that."
Despite all this layered complexity, and the hard realities of climate change and overfishing, Rothschild says he’s "optimistic" that a way forward can be found that strikes a sustainable balance between environmental and economic necessities.
Part of what’s needed, he says, is a better grasp of climate change, and more finely tuned science "to help us understand why stocks go up and down, either in connection with fishing, which they do sometimes, and independent of fishing, which they do sometimes."