March 31, 2014 — As a first step, we must ensure that Congress doesn’t take shortsighted steps to strip out or undermine conservation measures in the act that have led to the rebuilding of some of our commercially and recreationally important fisheries.
For my dissertation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, I researched historical change in marine animal populations and coastalecosystems. Since returning to my native New England to work as a professor at Colby College, I have continued to document declining populations and ecosystem alterations. The effect of these changes has been to reduce ecosystem potential and the potential of coastal communities to benefit from robust, vibrant and diverse fisheries.
Here in Maine, as in many parts of the world, reduction in fisheries affects the people most dependent on those resources: fishermen and coastal communities.
Decades of overfishing have severely depleted Gulf of Maine cod, yellowtail flounder and many other fish that were once staples of our coastal economy. In fact, as of last December, there are a dozen New England fish stocks that are currently classified as “overfished” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Maine’s history was built upon fishing, and for generations the sea was thought to be inexhaustible. Now, with some of our once-plentiful fish populations overfished, this has meant strict management plans and reductions in catch limits to help rebuild the stocks. Both have had tough impacts on fishermen and coastal communities that rely on them.
But if there aren’t enough fish left out there to support a thriving industry, what can we do?
We must rebuild our depleted fisheries to ensure longer-term sustainability of this important resource and long-term benefits to coastal communities.
Loren McClenachan is assistant professor of environmental studies at Colby College in Waterville. She received her doctorate from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.