NOAA – A Failed Agency

The Magnuson Act became the law of the land in 1977. Seven years later, the 200-mile limit between Canada and the United States was decided at the world court in the Hague, Netherlands. Both had good intentions, however both failed. Magnuson was supposed to keep fish stocks at a sustainable level and keep maritime communities, like Gloucester prosperous. It made sense. Plenty of fish meant plenty of fishing, processing and a strong waterfront economy. After NOAA Magnuson was signed into law and kicked out the foreign vessels, they contradicted their own intentions of “overfishing” and built up the American fleet by offering government-backed low interest loans. This set off a frenzy of boat building at a time when fish stocks were plentiful. The fleet doubled in size in less than a decade. This offset the gains made from keeping foreign vessels out. Well, it backfired. While we like to think that the foreign fleets raped our fish stocks, it was really NOAA’s’ misguided encouragement and failed policies. “Go get’em boys, it’s all ours now” was their signal to fishermen. >click to continue<, By Sam Parisi. Gloucester, Mass. 18:32

One Response to NOAA – A Failed Agency

  1. Rocky Novello says:

    Commercial Fishing made N.O.A.A.’S Fisheries into a billion-dollar entity in today’s world . In the 1990’s N.O.A.A. Fisheries started their Devastation of U.S.A. Commercial Fishing Industry( importing foreign fish as a trade off for American technology products) Today ,most of our commercial fishing industry is barely surviving, most of the boats,fishermen,sea-side processors are gone ? But during the same time as our commercial fishing industry was devastated , N.O.A.A. Fisheries brother-hood has vastly increased, WHY <whats the answer

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