Halibut scientists plan to expand the yearly stock assessments by 30% next summer, adding 390 survey stations to the existing 1,300. The stations are located coast wide from Oregon to the Bering Sea. Since 1998 the halibut surveys have been done in a depth range of 20 to 275 fathoms where most of the fishing was taking place. But that’s been changing. more@fishradio 17:49
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
