November 17, 2022 — Chris Brown is president of Seafood Harvesters of America and a commercial fisherman fishing out of Point Judith, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Heather Mann is executive director of the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, a nonprofit trade association of nearly 30 fishing vessels based in Newport, Oregon, U.S.A., and a member of Seafood Harvesters of America.
Every morning, fishermen on both coasts are up early and heading out on the water in hopes of finding fish. Commercial fishing can be grueling work with long hours and unpredictable outcomes, and these days we’re seeing more uncertainty. We are witnessing big changes on the water and we need robust federal investments in science and technology for NOAA to improve data collection and fisheries management.