Jerry Leeman – A supply line disruption

Allow me to explain what is about to happen. We are fishing on false assumptions that there are no white hake. If you are a fisherman, I’m sure you can tell that is untrue. Regardless of the price of fuel rising and this hake quota brought to us by NOAA and NMFS. It’s become a supply line disruption.

The infrastructure needs a steady supply of fish to keep steady markets open. Here lies the problem.

Fishermen are going out of their way to avoid a specie that live in the same habitat as other species. So, for the sake of the hake restriction, they are avoiding those areas. So that means the supply line is cut for the other species. Which means cutting houses and fish markets are paying for folks to sit idle. No supply no product no income. So, they have to lay off folks.

Then as our economy is so poor no one can afford a $14 a pound product. All due to there being no steady supply.

Now if we turned this around and were able to fish these stocks that would produce product to be distributed, jobs become full time while steady revenue is formed, the supply chain has markets. Fishermen can move their product at reasonable prices. In turn, the price at the grocery store goes down. Then the economy stays working.

If we stay with this faulty assumption on white hake, boats will be forced to stop. They’ll stop because the markets and facilities that processed their product and shipped to the consumer have gone out of business. So, what does that mean for lobstermen?  Well, I’m sure if you are in the business, bait has been a burdensome task at $300-400 a barrel if you can get it!

Now imagine no more redfish racks. No more skates, and hard bait to boot.

How would $600-800 a barrel sound if you can find any at all?! Do you think you will manage to survive that. I bet not. My heart goes out to all.

This can be fixed and should be. We the fishermen, the ones at sea and on the ground floor can and should come together.

The infrastructure is a fragile thing that if collapsed will start a chain reaction. A trickle effect as it were.  Millions of dollars in boats, structures, trucks no longer able to be paid for. Thousands of fishermen and men and women who’s livelihoods are gone. Then what?!

Well, that means joblessness, No income. Then starts the real scary and crazy part.

Folks will not be able to make payments. Homes will be lost. Bills will go unpaid insurances payments missed, boats sitting idle till the banks take them, the rest of the nation will follow suit. Think this won’t happen its already begun.

One hand wash’s the other especially in the fishing industry. How many fuel docks and shipyards base a living on the fishing industry? How many livelihoods are made by the equipment and mechanics and engineers not to mention secretaries and accountant’s jobs. We can fix this, but we need to come together and come together now.

Government has become big business not for the people by the people. Do you know that NOAA gets their budget from the tax of seafood coming across our nations border then takes that budget to manage you the men and women working our oceans right out of business. Funny other nations fish come to the United States to create a budget to put the US fishery in the poor house. I pray you take action.

God bless you all and our families as always. FISH ON MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS!