In
a recent national essay, author Paul Greenberg called for the United States to
become a ‘fishier’ and ‘healthier’ nation.
He goes on to cite a staggering fact, that the U.S. controls 2.8 billion
acres of ocean, yet nearly 90 percent of commercial seafood consumed by
Americans comes from abroad and a third of the fish caught by U.S. commercial
fishermen is shipped overseas.
With
so much national attention placed on commercial seafood – that which is caught
and sold for market – it’s a shame that more emphasis isn’t placed on America’s
recreational fishermen, those who fish for personal, no-sale consumption.
As
Mr. Greenberg pointed out, there is a ‘locavore’ movement in this country with many
Americans almost exclusively eating foods from their local foodshed and typically
harvested within 100 miles of home.
Locavores believe in sustainable harvest and may grow their own
vegetables, shop primarily in farmers markets, or even harvest their own fish
and game.
The
American recreational fisherman or saltwater
angler is the historical embodiment of the 21st century
locavore.
The
U.S. Department of Commerce, through its National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS), is currently working on a National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries
Policy to help guide the agency’s future policy actions. While the term “recreational fishing” may
mean different things to different people, NMFS has mostly established that
recreational fishing includes non-commercial fishermen who fish from shore or on
private vessels; for-hire vessels like charter and head boats; the recreational
fishing industries themselves including bait and tackle manufacturers and
sellers; and those who fish for subsistence.
It
is estimated that between 7 and 14 million Americans fish recreationally in
marine waters each year; a more concrete number cannot be established because
of inconsistencies with NMFS’ data collection deemed “fatally flawed” by the
National Academy of Sciences over 8 years ago.
When Congress reauthorized the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act in 2006, the law required NMFS to overhaul its system of
gathering recreational fishing data by a time-certain deadline of January 1, 2009. Five years later, that deadline still has not
been met.
To
think that less than 2% of imported seafood in this country is inspected and
that as much as 30 percent is caught illegally is mind-boggling, and proves
that more emphasis must be placed on U.S. recreational fishing and the need to
fight for sustainable harvest by American citizens motivated by healthy,
sustainable food options, which in turn drive socioeconomic
benefits to our local communities.
It
may be true that some anglers fish purely for sport, even releasing 100% of what
they catch. But when considering Mr.
Greenberg’s point that the average American consumes “a scant 15 pounds of
seafood a year,” it can be safely assumed that the average American saltwater
angler must consume two to three times that amount. While some groups and individuals may look
down on the consumptive angler as not sporting enough for their elite social clubs,
it’s time that the average American saltwater angler is given his/her due
respect in the federal fisheries discussion regarding sustainable harvest.
Our
nation’s federal fisheries law is up for reauthorization in Congress. To truly reorient ourselves toward the sea as
many feel we must, more emphasis must be placed at both the local and federal
level on protecting our recreational fishermen and all those citizens who fall
under its federal definition. Too much
of the national spotlight in recent years has been shined on the ongoing battle
between environmental organizations and commercial fishing interests – the
mainstream media must share part of the blame with members of Congress for
failing to recognize the socioeconomic contributions of recreational fishermen
to both our seaside communities and the overall health of our coasts.
As
Congress gets set to reauthorize Magnuson Stevens while the Commerce Department
moves forward with creation of a first-ever National Saltwater Recreational
Fisheries Policy, let’s hope that fixing this particular imbalance will indeed become
a national priority on behalf of the millions of locavores who enjoy open,
sustainable access to our natural public resources.
While
environmental organizations cite an abundance
of fish in the ocean as evidence that Magnuson Stevens is working just fine,
denying American citizens of sustainable access to abundant stocks as means to
that end is proof that our federal fisheries law is actually failing the American
people who fish for sport, recreation and food.
What the typical U.S. locavore angler wants is ‘sustainable fisheries.’ By definition, sustainable fisheries
are fish stocks accessed by fishermen. Regrettably, abundant fish stocks don’t actually require the presence of
fishermen to be defined.
