FROM THE CROWE’S NEST

The Final Nail in the Coffin

The shift in the political dynamics of the fishing industry was made clear once again at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) meeting in Recife, Brazil. After two decades of beating their heads against the European Community (EU) industrial fleet’s iron grip on the resource, the US delegation finally walked away with solid prospects for change.

The difference this year, was the presence of a room full of Environmental Non Governmental Organizations (ENGO) supporting change. The U.S also sent influential representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and NOAA. In addition, a resolution authored by Senator Olympia Snowe, and Senator John Kerry brought the power of the U.S. Congress to bear.

The influence of the world, informed about what the EU has been up to and shining a light on the ICCAT process, also helped forced the EU’s hand.

In a 180 degree turn around the US got all it wanted in a conservation agreement, and all major points in the Snowe and Kerry resolution.

Why it took so long is not as important as how it happened. The organization of public opinion moved public servants and government employees.

Money flowing into ENGOs gave those groups the power to inform the public about Eastern Atlantic blue fin tuna, and backed sending them to Recife, to talk, and be heard.

What these organizations say is sometimes aligned with the interests of the fishing industry, and sometimes it is not. They have become more politically powerful than the fishing industry in some cases.

The up side of this is that they are more likely to be aligned with agenda of the small boat fleet than with the industrial fleet. The downside is, What’s in a name? ICCAT has obviously not been interested in conservation. The Environmental Defense Fund wants to sell catch shares on Wall Street. Slapping on sustainable labels is cheap, easy, and effective PR.

ENGOs are, however, here to stay, because money talks, especially in Washington, D.C.

A coalition of funded ENGOs, fishermen, and politicians needs to do what was done in Recife, for the fishing industry here. Habitat restoration, protected spawning, and selective harvesting techniques can only be done by small boat, community based fisheries. Otherwise, the NMFS’s politically driven consolidated industrial model now on track could be the final nail in our resource’s coffin.