Now is time for broad, national effort

(from the January, 2009 issue of National Fisherman)

On January 20th we’re going to have a new Administration in Washington. While knocking on every piece of wood I can reach, it’s hard for me to imagine that it will be worse for the fishing industry than the previous two have been.

Particularly considering all of the talk about President Elect Obama’s people hitting the ground running, being in operation ASAP, I can’t stress how important it will be to all of us to have our collective foot in the DC door just as quickly. That raises the question of how best to do that.

Too often in the past, the commercial fishing industry has been at internal odds with itself, and at odds with other fish/seafood “user groups” as well. In large part that is why we, our recreational fishing colleagues, and the other businesses depending on domestic fish and shellfish are in the sorry shape they’re in. While all we’ve had to offer to the politicians are conflicting demands on every issue, the antis have come together and been able to successfully push their “fishing is bad” fiction.

We’ve been struggling with the results for over a decade.

We’re sorely in need of a national agenda, but not just an agenda of commercial harvesters. While commercial fishermen have born the brunt of the anti’s foundation-funded campaign until recently, anyone who catches, processes, transports, buys, sells or in any other way benefits from catching domestic fish or shellfish is now paying a price. And more of them are realizing that every day.

How do we put together such an agenda? Fortunately, we have some tools to help us do that, at least from the commercial harvesting segment. Already in existence and operation are organizations that could – and should - represent just about everyone in the U.S. fish and seafood industry.

In no particular order, we have the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), Commercial Fishermen of America (CFA) and the Seafood Coalition (SFC). The CFA, representing individual fishermen, has made its mark in pushing for health coverage and disaster relief for domestic harvesters. NFI successfully represents the “corporate” side of the seafood industry from the ocean to the table. The SFC, made up of the leaders of harvester and processor associations, is an ad hoc group that has had a significant role in Magnuson reauthorization. Together they cover most of the waterfront, and quite a bit beyond.

There are other, fishery-specific organizations that could also contribute significantly to this effort. (While it probably goes without saying, any involved organizations or individuals must be free of any foundation funding “taint.”)

So what’s missing? Obviously, a national consensus on what, from the fishing perspective, the myriad of businesses that depend on our fisheries need to thrive. The antis have a consensus, though it’s little more than “green” extortion based on mass-marketed fringe science. It’s gotten them to where they are – with a virtual stranglehold on U.S. fishermen and every business that depends on what they harvest.

How do we achieve a national seafood harvesting consensus? Conceptually it’s easy. Industry leaders would get together and hammer one out; one that’s easy-to-understand and based on common sense and noncontroversial principles. Practically, it’s not going to be that simple. It’s going to require some people to stifle some animosity, it’s going to require people in some fisheries that are doing ok to adopt a longer term outlook based on the fact that next year isn’t next week, and it’s going to require everyone to realize that we’re all in it together, and act accordingly.

If we can do that, we should be able to enlist the support of associated groups. Who in the restaurant industry wouldn’t support the fishermen’s ability to continue providing fresh, domestic seafood. Or in the supermarket trade? How about truckers, or box or gear manufacturers? Or local Chambers of Commerce. Or anyone who benefits when fish are caught, no matter by who.

I don’t know how much is possible or how far we can go, but I’ll bet dollars to donuts that OFCT funded members of the anti-fishing claque are already knocking on doors and pushing their distortions. If we let them continue without attempting to present the real picture of what’s going on in our waters, it will be hard to argue we don’t deserve what we get down the line.

(In the interests of full disclosure, I’m one of the founding members of the SFC and in the past have worked on initiatives funded by both it and NFI).  

Nils E. Stolpe