A study of fishing dock pictures from Key West shows a dramatic change in the last 50 years, the big fish are gone, G-O-N-E. No more big ones on the docks at Key West. In an interview, biologist Loren McClenachan talks about this research and what it all means.
Have we learned our lesson? I hope so. One reason the big fish are missing now is that fishery regulations protect some species like goliath grouper, and that's a good sign. Also, the protected areas near Key West are helping fish recover and helping me stay optimistic.
But I begin to wonder if we'll solve these problems when I see attempts to weaken federal law that requires sustainable fishing and other attempts to allow fishing to exceed scientific limits such as New England's war on science.
But then I get optimistic again when I see the people who buy fish taking a stand for responsible management and truly wise use of fish, including Gorton's in New England and Wal-Mart.
Regardless of our response to the loss of big fish, this story of loss is as American as John Prine. This song can tell you what happened (see YouTube video at the bottom of the post).
Key West 1957
Key West 1958
Key West 1965-79
Key West 1965-79
Key West 1980-85
Key West 1980-85
Key West 2007
Paradise John Prine
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5 comments:
This is a call to everyone to please step outside the right vs. left paradigm. While there are important issues worth debating within this paradigm, all of them will be moot if we do not focus on a much greater issue outside this paradigm. Thomas Jefferson warned of wealth concentrating to such an extent that it threatened the state. Nowadays the media has taught us all very well to ridicule anyone who talks of central banks usurping the power of government. Well now I suppose the media will have to laugh at themselves, as many outlets from Newsweek to the Financial Times of London are openly discussing the creation of a "bank of the world" that will control economic policies of every nation. I invite you to watch this video, which details how this is currently taking place. While it focuses on our current officials' cooperation with these plans, it steps out of the typical political paradigm by highlighting the cooperation of both parties. Please do not look to politicians to protect us. Only we can protect us. And our first step must be to reach out to police and military. Without their cooperation, the global elite won't have the muscle to exercise their will of oppression. Please share this oath-keepers blog with them.
I wonder if this alarming trend is correlated with increasingly exaggerated "fish tales" among fisher(wo)men.
Not to make of this at all, the enormous groupers in the early images are harder and harder to find. Being protogynous hermaphrodites and reaching maturation at a late age, removing these large individuals (mostly males) drastically reduces recruitment.
Great blog by the way.
Saw this release and your post on it is excellent. I think these visuals need to be as widely distributed as possible - with your post! ~Cindy
May I commend to the readers of this post "The Last Marlin" by Fred Waitzkin (author of Waiting for Bobby Fisher, among other things). Although a story of families as much as fishing, anyone who cares about pelagic fish will enjoy it.
Wow, the fish really are getting smaller... by a LOT!
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