I rarely agree with Michael Conathan's views as far as fishing industry policy.
We have different perspectives on policy, and other fishery related issues, but as always with ENGO's the articles seem to come in batches on the subject of the moment.
A well cordinated campaign blitz of the Environmental Journalist Society is usually implemented for complete saturation of the media.
Whole Foods Market announced earlier this month it will stop selling fish caught that is not deemed as "sustainable," or that is caught by what the Texas-based grocery chain says are ecologically damaging methods, including octopus, gray sole, skate, Atlantic halibut and Atlantic cod reeled in by trawlers.
In a letter to Whole Foods co-CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb, Brown said Monday he was concerned the decision has more to do with political correctness than sound reasoning.
The Massachusetts Republican questioned what he called "uncertain science," and said the decision will hurt Massachusetts fishermen.
From MichaelConathan
In recent weeks some of the nation’s biggest media outlets have turned their eyes toward seafood sustainability—a subject that can be as slippery and tough to pin down as a fish flopping across the deck of a pitching and rolling fishing boat.
As consumers and corporate buyers allow sustainability ratings to drive more of their purchasing choices, it's becoming increasingly important to know who is doing the rating and how they're arriving at their decisions. The ultimate goal of such programs is to allow the market to drive behavior; in this case, the manner in which fishermen go about the business of fishing. But if doing so makes it impossible for fishermen to maintain their business, then the ratings are forfeiting one of the inherent goals of sustainability: the availability of fish over the long term.
David Goethel, a member of the New England fishery management council, touting the stringency of U.S. fishery management, arguably the strongest in the world, and suggesting “using the word ‘sustainable,’ maybe it looks good in your advertising. But, without being too harsh, [the word] means absolutely nothing.”
In an interview with Boston’s WBUR radio, chef and National Geographic fellow Barton Seaver said, “We're talking about a human product. As much as we talk about sustainable seafood, let's talk about sustainable fishermen. Because of all the charismatic species on the redlist, those in most danger, fishermen are right up there.”