There is a long and storied history of great supporters of fisheries and the fishing industry in Congress. The late Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington was a lover of the marine environment and helped pen the Marine Mammal Protection Act in order to protect the Orca whales of Puget Sound. Additionally, he developed and lent his name to the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation Act of 1976, which established the territorial waters of the United States, the Fishery Council System for regulatory development, and established the goal to end overfishing. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska added his name to the Magnuson Act when it was amended in 1996 to address bycatch, habitat, and numerous other issues that had come up in the 20 years since the original law had passed. The West Coast Senators frequently partnered with their colleagues in New England to give the fishing industry a strong voice and a solid core of knowledgeable supporters that could lead the way forward on tricky fisheries issues.
As the 113th Congress starts and newly elected and incumbent Senators and Representatives make their way back to Washington, there is a notable loss of knowledge, experience and understanding of the needs of the fishing industry. Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, one of the most outspoken members of congress on fishing issues in recent years, has retired. Senator Inouye of Hawaii passed away. Senator Kerry has been chosen by President Obama to join his cabinet as Secretary of State. And our own Senator Snowe, a strong supporter of the fishing industry and healthy oceans, has also retired. In the course of one year, Congress has lost substantial institutional history and knowledge about the complex issues facing our nation’s fishermen and fishing communities. The leadership void on this issue leaves us in the industry wondering who will speak up for the future of our fisheries.
Fisheries policy is incredibly complex and nowhere more so than in New England. Here in New England, science, politics, and the long-term economic health of coastal communities have mixed with history and personalities to create crisis after crisis. In this environment, experience and relationships are key. Sadly, the fishing industry needs a knowledgeable champion in Congress right now as much as it ever has. The Secretary of Commerce has recently declared the New England Groundfish fishery a federal disaster due to upcoming cuts to the industry’s allowable catch for next year. The real disaster, though, isn’t that fishermen are not allowed to go out and catch the fish, it is that so few fish are out there. Any fisherman who has been on the water for a few decades will personally attest to the drastic decrease in the plentiful stocks the industry targeted between the 1950s and 1980s.
There are more costs being put on the fishing industry, there are less fish to go around, and the New England Fishery Management Council, which is supposed to govern fisheries, only seems willing to pass the buck on hard decisions. The industry needs strong, knowledgeable voices in Congress to not only support the small businesses that make up the fishing industry, but also to help build the path for a stronger future for the fishing communities of New England.
This is not to say that there are no longer any fisheries advocates in Congress. Maine’s Senator Collins and Representative Pingree have been staunch supporters of the industry and the fishery since they were elected, but we have lost the critical mass of individuals who were willing to make fisheries one of their top priorities and move good ideas through Congress. This loss can only hurt the industry in the future.
With so many new Congressmen from New England, the fishing industry is looking for new champions to lead the way through these increasingly important times. Maine’s Congressional delegation should take this opportunity to step into this important role as thought leaders on New England fisheries and drive the issues that will ensure a successful future for Maine’s fishing families.
Ben Martens is the Executive Director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (formerly Midcoast Fishermen’s Association).