April 3, 2014 — In the USA, fisheries are managed by the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act). Accordingly, any fish stock that is below the level which, according to calculations by mathematical models would produce MSY (maximum sustainable yield), is treated as ‘overfished’. This term implies that the condition of the stock is caused by excessive fishing to be dealt with in the management practice. Scientifically fallacious, this approach has been revered for many decades now, in spite the fact that everybody concerned knows very well that in the real world there are plenty of other factors that affect the size of fish populations.
The tanker syndrome
So, what are the reasons that while so many and for so long have been talking about the needed shift in official American and European science/management systems, hardly anything has happened? Dr Serge Garcia, the former head of the FAO Fishery Resources Division once told me that even when individuals among the scientific-management system have made up their mind regarding the need to change an old-school paradigm, they have large ‘tanker ships syndrome’ – it takes them long time to change direction…
But, now, it seems that the ‘tanker' has started turning. One of the amendments to the Magnuson Act proposed by the U.S. Congress' Natural Resources Committee Chairman, Doc Hastings, would replace the term ‘overfished’ wherever it appears throughout the Magnuson Act, with ‘depleted'. And rightly so – ‘overfishing’ is a misnomer that has, for years, distracted American fisheries management from all natural and man-caused factors affecting populations of commercial fish other than fishing. Thus, as long as it's only ‘overfishing’, it is only fishermen who are to blame and management by simply restricting fishing is the best way to rebuild stocks.
This change, once approved, should force the management science to consider such factors as, for example, upstream and coastal pollution, excessive use of spilled-oil dispersants, degraded inshore habitat, low egg/larval/fingerling survival, predation, food availability across all growth and maturation stages, and fish population migration. Also, offshore environmental degradation, and deterioration of sea water quality by inflow of polluted water from rivers and agricultural sources exert pressure on marine life. All the more that most marine species, in general, and fish in particular use inshore and inland riverine habitats at some stage of their life. Eventually, therefore, any assumption that overfishing is the sole cause for stock depletion would have to be scientifically proved and participation of other factors refuted.
Such routine would also expose situations where limiting fishing effort is not a remedy, and point to the actual ‘villains’, however difficult it is to contend pollution and habitat deformation, and withstand the lobbying power of major NGO foundations. These are spending a fortune in fighting ‘overfishing’ and thus diverting the attention of public opinion from all the other factors and, in particular, from the damage caused by pollution from petro-chemical industry sources. It may be quite fascinating to unearth their financiers…
Those important amendments to the Magnuson Act will affect U.S. fisheries management in all federal and individual state controlled waters.
Read the full story at World Fishing and Aquaculture