NGOs and Fishery Managers are not the enemy

In getting feedback on some of my posts, I realize some folks who do not know me well may get the wrong impression.  I respect the work of the NGOs and Fishery Managers.  I do feel they are doing a disservice to marine resource management, but I attribute this to the the faulty assumptions and goals of wild fisheries management that has been institutionalized by various treaties and regulatory schemes.

The reason any one even manages marine fisheries is to make sure there are commercially exploitable stocks of seafood.  So it is all about business and explains why the National Marine Fishery Service is part of the Department of Commerce.  The NGOs have forced the fishery managers to taker a broader view (which is good), but the goal of that view is still to maintain commercial stocks.  So the NGOs are working in the context of what I view to be a broken and ineffective management scheme for marine resources.

I am advocating and guiding my company by the principal that the marine ecosystem and environment must be managed as a whole.  I value the preservation of species and respect the needs of various communities to utilize marine resources.  This utilization must be ethically grounded and socially responsible.

I remain eager and committed to working with all constituencies to preserve seafood as a culturally appropriate part of our cuisine so long as the the marine resource is preserved and managed for future generations.