| OCR Text |
Show TheSalt Lake Tribune AA6 OPINION Sunday, September 29, 2002 Declining Fisheries Demand Smaller Fleets BY MICHAEL L. WEBER LOS ANGELES TIMES $100 million in 1997 to $50 mil lionin 1998. In January The federal g verge ¢ rs off the West Coast to v kinds of fishing for decand not a moment too soon. People are still sc through the economic and so- cial effects of the decision by the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council to sus pend fishing for several kinds if rockfishoff thePacific Coast With stunning suddenness, the myth of ocean abundance has dissolvedinto the cold reWhere we once of building ub fishiny fleets, we now face of trimming chal m. if we do not succeed in halving the West Coast fleet that hasfished for groundfish, which consumers purchase as red snapper. What a shift. In the 1970s and 1980s, ment govern. expulsion of f fleets and wil y optimistic es- timates of potential catches fed an enormous boomin fishing boat construction. More than half of the 30,5 these fisheries should be surprised. The ns wereclear five s Then, tighter and tighter fishing restrictions rimmed at protecting declining rockfish populations reduced the economic value of the West Coast commercialfishery from It was too much of a good thing. Soon, manyfishermen found their grounds crowded and their catches declining. To makeends meet, some rushed to increase catches by using more gear and bigger vessels andbyfishing longer. This race for the fish too few fish. These patterns will repeat themselves on the West ten, catches declined, some- timesprecipitously. Many fishermen began seeking better grounds. From 1984 to 1990, more than 2,000 shrimp trawlers left the ecological richness of our coastal no match for the overcapacity of waters. gation represented by the invest mentin vessels. Reducing fishing From Abundance toScarcity: A ourfleets and the economic oblifleets is key health of ou to the economic ries and to the Weber's most recent book is History of U.S. Marine Fisheries Policy. Coast unless dramatic steps are takento reducefleetsize. In several regions, the federal government has underwritten programs to buy and scuttle fishing vessels. In Alaska, the government andtheindustry financed thescuttling of nine large trawlers in the Alaska pollock fishery, to the relief of nearly everyone. Unfortunately, these are isolated examples magnified small problems, such as damage to sensitive wrong speciesto sell. Quiteof- dislocation from searcity.”” habitats and thediscard offish that were too small or the ernment loan g that di No one depending on, man: aging, enjoying or profiting “With stunning suddenness,the myth of ocean abundance has dissolved into the cold reality of agencies, investors and fishermen dreamed confi jently of expandingfi heries, not pemite Pac st but ish populations can e will surely face reducing fleets to sizes from too many boats chasing marine wildlife and habitats are and wholly inadequate. The United States desper- ately needs a national effort to reduce fleets. Buyback proms should be designed care- fully and are by no means a panacea. But whether vessel buyback programs or market- based approaches are the: means, Washington‘must lad by investing in cutting fleets, crowded shrimping grounds of justas it didin building themup. the Gulf of Mexico. But they did Likewise, fishermen who not disappear. Rather, they have benefited from federal simplymoved tootherfisheries. programs and will benefit from. Fishermen elsewhere some- restored fisheries should contimes took advantage of “fire tribute to readjusting the fleet sale” vesselprices to gear up. In size to meet morerealistic exthe end, hundreds of shrimp pectations of the ocean's protrawlers entered other fisher- ductivity by helping to finance ies, many ofwhich already were thefleet reduction. suffering, or soon would be, Fishing regulations to protect HAY FEVER Volunteers with hay fever are needed toparticipatein a research study involving an investigational medication. Toqualify you mustibe i2or older, with a two year history offall hay! itchynose,palate, throat). Qualified volunteers will receive financial compensation for participating in this investigational drug sttidy. 532-4526 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., Mondaythru Friday Intermountain Clinical Research 150 S. 1000 E., Salt Lake City 3 RUS UECISDS) aly BINSas “BIGAOTS TM |G Coupon cannot be comin wah any arater rb eden cash Excludes furniture items. Coupon may: be reproduced. Expires 108/02| DENTAL FLOSS me PEDtS 18| MENS OR LADIES 10 PK. USSTea Yat BIG/OTS HOH curt be combined with any other er or be recegmed for cash. Exelos me tomsCoupon may be reproduced.Expires10/5/02| "OTS }| |
