May 7, 2012 – Whole Foods is effectively penalizing even the fishermen who utilize highly selective trawl gear, such as the World Wildlife Fund's SmartGear Award-winning Eliminator Trawl, allowing them to catch more of the healthy haddock stock rather than cod, which is rebuilding.
I disagree with Whole Foods' conclusion that consumers should not be provided with the option to support fish stocks that are carefully managed while rebuilding from depleted levels. With low catch limits and rising fuel costs, New England's groundfishermen require our support more than ever.
Furthermore, Whole Foods has refused to sell Maine's most iconic catch — live lobster — since 2006, except in one location: its Portland, Maine, outlet. Maine's lobster fishery is world-renowned for its conservation ethics, which include minimum and maximum size limits, and a requirement to mark egg-bearing females. All lobsters bearing this mark must be returned to the water to reproduce again, sustaining the fishery for future generations.
Consumers should feel good about eating any seafood caught and landed by American, and particularly Maine, fishermen. Our nation's fish stocks are managed to the highest conservation standards, and our fishermen deserve to be rewarded for both their labors and their sacrifices. Regrettably, with this action, Whole Foods undermines the significant efforts of our fishermen to rebuild fish stocks to healthy levels. I urge Whole Foods to reconsider their decisions and, as always, I stand ready to assist our state's incredible fishermen in any way I can.
Read the full story at The Cryer Online.