My former supervisor/now boss (and OG of overfishing) has a piece out in The New Republic with the wonderfully garish title of Aquacalypse Now. He explains how the fishing industry can contribute a minuscule amount to the GDP of advanced economies -- less than hair salons -- and yet manage to wield a disproportionate amount of political power. Read the whole article here but beware: NOTHING is as bad as harpooning a manatee.
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There must definitely be something in the air... and forgive me for talking about a non-fish theme, but in this case, I really just had to with the certain implied similarities.
I am just reading about another "Food" resource reality warning that talks about a "Banana Apocalypse." Kind of brought on by the Banana Ponzi Scheme due to the industry and its control over the kingdom of mono-crop marketing...
http://www.damninteresting.com/the-unfortunate-sex-life-of-the-banana
Note: GMO to the rescue here(?), and the title of the article is not as innuendo sounding as it appears. But it does seriously talk about the massive problems of this food staple if this resource crashes.
Harpooning a Manatee? What a horrid thought. I would go nuts just at the thought of them having to deal with boat propellers. They have to be one of our planets most gentle creatures ever. I have always wanted to swim with them since I can first remember learning about them.
Uhh... I think Pauly's characterization of fisheries scientists that work for NMFS is completely crap. Let me give you my characterization of conservation biologists: "They take the field data that fisheries biologists have carefully collected over years and distort it into some twistsed doom and gloom story to meet the satisfaction on the NGO who funded them" - There you go.
Secondly - why is NMFS always catching the brunt of "conservation biologists" up in Canada? Canada's fisheries management is shit compared to the US. We don't have salmon farms down here - you have them in British Columbia. If your going to sit up in Canada and criticize US Fisheries management from British Columbia of all places then at least bash your own fisheries management once in a while.
Finally - you know what is as bad as "Harpooning a Manatee"? CLUBBING SEALS IN CANADA!!!!
And in conclusion - CleanFish - the newest and sneakiest greenwashers for sustainable seafood just totally used that essay by Daniel Pauly to promote their company that sells carnivorous farmed raised fish from half way around the world as a solution to overfishing.
Damn... i understand the point Pauly is trying to make, but he takes a really nasty tone in doing so.
And I agree that lashing out at NMFS biologists (not even the political appointees??) is kind of asinine. Stock assessment characterizations are the way they are because of the Magnuson Act. If you don't like the way the system works, look at the legal framework, don't throw bombs and accuse people of "agency capture"
Brad
Just goes to show how far Pauly's ego has gone - "I'm a marine ecologist and you're just a lowly fisheries scientist" - "I'm always right - and you're always wrong" - Meanwhile Pauly is not the one managing fisheries - that has to deal with the politically powerful fishing industry interfering with every result of their work - its fisheries scientist that have to maintain there integrity against accusation from all sides and then get insulted by types like Pauly.
TeÅekkürler.BaÅarılar.