Eric Schwaab, the top fisheries administrator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told a Senate subcommittee Tuesday that $31 billion in sales and as many as 500,000 jobs have been lost because the nation's fisheries are not performing as well as they would if all fish stocks were healthy.
However, Schwaab painted a brighter picture of the industry's future in testimony before the Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee in Washington.
"We have turned a corner in our management of fisheries in this country, and the sacrifices made and being made by so many who rely on this industry are showing great promise," he said.
Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., offered a decidedly different perspective.
"The situation for our fisherman and local businesses is increasingly dire. I'm more and more convinced that the federal management of our fisheries has driven this industry to the brink," he said.
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