Patrick, Wow, "John Smith" is giving WHOI a bad name. I'd like to find him and
him. So many great and reputable scientists and studies have come from there. Grrrr. What's that National MPA Center woman's doctorate in, and what school did she get it thru? Doctor of Flaming Unscientific Advocacy from the University of Phoenix Online or something? Crikey. I totally agree that fair and unbiased science should always be used to support regulations, and I think that what you're doing is quite admirable. It will be hard to keep politics and economics out of fisheries management, however. These days, us kiddies are taught that it's all part of the "policy stew", and that social values should be taken into account. The organic acts of many natural resource management agencies are vague and provide for the consideration of ecological as well as financial, political, and ethical concerns. Even the NEPA of 1969, which is very pro-environment compared to many laws, includes provisions for social and economic needs of humans. We may have to overhaul our entire system of natural resource policy and administration...? Ain't gonna be my job.
