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SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Letters] - April 16, 2010 - ''After 135 years, last US sardine cannery shutting down in Maine, Bumble Bee says quota cuts to blame.''
This story does not get to the root of the problems here. The truth is
the industrial herring fishery has not even caught close to its annual
target quota (e.g. 180,000 metric tons in 2004) for the last several
years. This indicates a problem with herring abundance, not with catch
limits. In fact, the 2010 catch limit was based on the average fleet
landings for the last three years. It is these vessels' exceptional
efficiency that has contributed to shrinking herring populations over
the past decade (a 24 percent decline since 2000).
Furthermore, poor monitoring of this fishery means scientific advisors
don't know exactly what is going on, which leads to a great deal of
uncertainty. Therefore, declining stocks plus uncertainty equals harvest
reductions. It's too bad that Bumble Bee has been fingering fisheries
managers for their problems, when the real culprits are their suppliers:
industrial trawlers. More importantly, it is terrible that so many jobs
will be lost in an area with little opportunity. With luck this factory
can be used for something else and bring jobs back to Maine.
Gary Libby
Lobster and groundfish fisherman
Captain of F/V MisKim and F/V Leslie and Jessica
Port Clyde, Maine
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