ON DECK
Fishing Then & Now
addressing the full scope of ocean uses and effects from land-based By Jessica Hathaway industries and a global pollution problem. “If you look at what the threats to the oceans are, Ray Hilborn, University they’re ocean acid- of Washington Professor ification, climate of Aquatic and Fishery change, invasive Sciences species, various kinds of pollution, land runoff, and none of those are impacted by MPAs,” Hilborn said. MPAs, he noted, are protecting only from a limited scope of uses. Lumping groundfish at the Portland (Maine) Fish Exchange (Cover: NF March 1992) “Fundamentally, all MPAs are doing is regulating fishing, and maybe oil exhirty years ago, NF’s then-editor and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. ploration and mining,” he said. “It’s just Jim Fullilove made a prophetic Despite the fact that the council the wrong tool. The illusion that you’re statement on no-take marine spent the better part of two decades de- protecting the ocean by putting in MPAs, reserves. signing and establishing these areas, there it’s a big lie.” “The perceived simplicity of the is no conclusive evidence — more than The best response is a solution taino-harvest zone idea makes it danger- a decade after their implelored for the problem, rathous,” Fullilove wrote on page 6 of the mentation — that they are er than broad strokes of March 1992 edition. “Fencing off re- working. ocean closures. serves is a fishery management tool that “There was either no “What I would like to could become the darling of politicians change or a decrease in see is very explicit targets and special-interest groups with an- managed reef fish abunin what are we trying to ti-fishing agendas and little regard for the dance in each MPA relaachieve in biodiversity, and complexity of fish population dynamics.” tive to adjacent fished arfor each one of those tarAt the time, the South Atlantic Fish- eas,” according to a study gets, what’s the best tool ery Management Council was consid- published in the journal to achieve it,” Hilborn said. ering roping Science Direct in May 2021 “In almost every case, you’re off 20 percent (“No effect of marine progoing to be modifying fishof the coastal tected areas on managed ing gear, and how fishing waters off of reef fish species in the takes place, rather than closeach state in southeastern United States Large reef fish, like this ing areas to all fishing gears.” the region to Atlantic Ocean,” Chris Warsaw grouper caught Investment in technology, the mid-1970s, are a be designated Pickens, et al). “Based on in research and development is rarity these days, but it’s as reserves. these metrics, it does not the big fish that produce considered the pinnacle for As of Feb. appear that the SEUS the greatest number of every other industry because offspring. By creating no12, 2009, the MPAs have yet been effecthat is what sets us apart harvest zones off the South council had es- tive at protecting managed Atlantic coast, managers from the animals we hunt. hope to improve the brood tablished eight reef fish species.” With our ingenuity comes deep-water University of Wash- stock in surrounding areas. the responsibility of proper (NF March 1992) marine pro- ington Professor of Aquatstewardship of our finite The South Atlantic Fishery tected areas off ic and Fishery Sciences Ray Hilborn resources. Management Council proposes the four states confirmed in June last year that marine a series of marine protected in its jurisdicprotected areas are essentially regulat- Jessica Hathaway is the editor of National areas across the region. (NF tion — North ing a few activities in an area without Fisherman. March 1992) Nance Trueworthy
A look at marine protected areas
T
4 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022
www.nationalfisherman.com
