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January 22, 2009
Commercial fishermen are sailing into uncharted waters in 2009
By SUSAN WEST
Even
in the calmest of seas, there are no sure bets in the commercial
fishing business, but fishermen are sailing into largely uncharted
political and economic waters in 2009.
New federal and state administrations with new policies and a global
economic crisis of staggering proportions are likely to cast 2009 as a
turning point for the industry.
Uncertainty over how the year might unfold hasn’t stalled the
industry though, according to Sean McKeon, president of the North
Carolina Fisheries Association, a trade organization for the industry.
“Fishermen are having to work harder and smarter just to stay
afloat, but they still believe that eventually more rational policies
will prevail,” he said.
Like other small business owners, commercial fishermen worry about the recession, loss of credit, and reduced consumer demand.
Market demand for some types of higher priced U.S. seafood, such as lobster and some salmon, has fallen off.
Whether lackluster demand will extend to the lower-priced,
higher-volume fisheries that make up the bulk of the North Carolina
harvest is unknown.
Like most Americans, fishermen are holding their breath as fuel prices
creep upward. Diesel prices close to $5 a gallon, combined with
low dockside prices, upped the stakes for fishermen last summer.
Many kept their vessels tied to the docks, rather than risk
“going in the hole.”
The question of how federal and state fisheries policy might change
under new administrations looms large all along the Carolina coast.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the parent
agency of the National Marine Fisheries Service, has a new chief, Jane
Lubchenco, a marine biologist from Oregon State University.
With Lubchenco at the helm, NOAA will implement management directives
approved by Congress in 2006 when the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act was reauthorized.
“We’re going to see more quotas on everything, and my bet
is that in some instances, that will create hardships for the
commercial fishing industry,” said Louis Daniel, director of the
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.
Guidelines on setting annual catch limits that prevent overfishing were issued by the Bush administration on Jan. 15.
“The interpretation of those guidelines by the (federal fishery
management) councils could lead to more conservative management
approaches to address scientific uncertainty and to meet
deadlines,” said Mac Currin, chairman of the state Marine
Fisheries Commission and South Atlantic Fishery Council member.
With the prospect of more restrictive quotas on the horizon, fishermen
are looking for ways to reduce operating costs and increase profits on
smaller catches.
The popularity of marine sanctuaries, or “no-fishing”
zones, as a conservation measure is expected to grow in 2009.
Captains of small, day-trip boats worry that traditional fishing
grounds could be closed to fishing.
And, the debate over the merits of individual fishing quota and
rationalization programs will continue on both the federal and state
levels.
Gill-netters and pound-netters wonder whether a new southern flounder
stock assessment will usher in changes in regulations, and an
escalation in reports of conflicts between commercial and recreational
fishermen in some coastal areas will require resolution.
How the commercial fishing industry will weather 2009 is
anybody’s guess right now. The only sure bet is that
commercial fishermen and policymakers are marching towards a critical
crossroad where the fate of the state’s small fishing communities
will be cast.
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