Rapid growth in southern Ocean County in the last decade may be accelerating the marked decline of Barnegat Bay in the last few years —extending southward problems that are already severe in the county’s heavily developed north, data from a new government report show. Read more here 21:03
NILS STOLPE: The New England groundfish debacle (Part IV): Is cutting back harvest really the answer?
While it’s a fact that’s hardly ever acknowledged, the assumption in fisheries management is that if the population of a stock of fish isn’t at some arbitrary level, it’s because of too much fishing. Hence the term “overfished.” Hence the mandated knee jerk reaction of the fisheries managers to not enough fish; cut back on fishing. What of other factors? They don’t count. It’s all about fishing, because fishing is all that the managers can control; it’s their Maslow’s Hammer. When it comes to the oceans it seems as if it’s about all that the industry connected mega-foundations that support the anti-fishing ENGOs with hundreds of millions of dollars a year in “donations” are interested in controlling. Read the article here
No! You mean to tell me that it’s NOT OVERFISHING that’s somehow caused this? Would someone please tell the luminaries at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center at Woods Hole, MA that there is evidence that factors such as estuarine degradation of fish rookeries exist and in fact are quite widespread and negatively impacting fish populations, and in fact have precious little to do with commercial fishing.
In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the exact same conditions existed on LI. Phosphates from laundry detergents which got your clothes “whiter than white” leached into LI, NY’s Great South Bay and almost wiped out a thriving hard shell clam industry. Suffolk County banned phosphates (but Nassau Co. did not) however Suffolk’s ban completely reversed the algae that we called “grass wool” which blanketed the entire bottom choking off life and stealing oxygen—many many fish kills before it was stopped.
Now what’s so astounding to me is, thanks for a good article, but why is this News? The exact same thing happened 45 years ago on LI. Don’t scientists talk to each other—at all? Or are they too busy figuring out how to attribute pretty much any eco-negativity to the “sitting duck” commercial fishermen.
When reading comments on just about any article pertaining to the fishing industry, good or bad, the peanut gallery always chimes in, and the obligatory “over fishing” greedy fishermen, catch he last fish crowd makes sure they include it. What I like about this article, only a composite of the problem along every coastal community in the country is, I get to tell people about their complicity when it comes to destruction of the eco system in their everyday life.
They will rant and rave about draggers dragging, and so on, yet fail to look at themselves in the mirror as they hitch up their pants or adjust their skirts while pushing down the handle of their toilets, becoming part of the problem ten times per day, or when they wash their clothes.
I really enjoy pointing that out to people.
Looks like it’s time to apply a little NOAA Management here. What do you say about SECTORS and CRAP SHARES.
We should regulate this through Sector Time Shares. Each Home or McMansion will be allowed 10 Days in 2 Day increments spread throughout the SECTORS allowing the Toxins to disperse quicker. Also all Landscaping materials must be safe and organic.
Sign here Janie