{"id":9180,"date":"2016-03-29T14:04:22","date_gmt":"2016-03-29T18:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/?p=9180"},"modified":"2016-03-29T14:17:38","modified_gmt":"2016-03-29T18:17:38","slug":"editorial-a-cause-for-celebration-amid-causes-for-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/editorial-a-cause-for-celebration-amid-causes-for-concern\/","title":{"rendered":"EDITORIAL: A cause for celebration amid causes for concern"},"content":{"rendered":"

Far be it from us to find the dark cloud in an otherwise silver lining \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 But, as word spread around the recent Maine Fishermen\u2019s Forum of record-breaking landings in the state again last year, the excitement was somewhat tempered.<\/p>\n

The news was good, for sure, particularly for the booming lobster fishery.\u00a0 Huge landings and exceptionally strong prices.\u00a0 Hard to find fault with that.<\/p>\n

What struck us however, in the course of many conversations over the forum weekend, was an overwhelming sense of concern.<\/p>\n

Concern that this prolonged period of prosperity in the fishery may actually be having some negative impacts on coastal communities.<\/p>\n

And concern that early signs of an impending slowdown in the fishery are being ignored.<\/p>\n

A school teacher stopped by our booth to thank us for sending a few copies of Commercial Fisheries News<\/i> each month to get circulated among his students.<\/p>\n

Asked what the kids liked to read, he said, \u201cOh, they don\u2019t read the paper.\u00a0 Mostly they just look at the photos.\u00a0 Especially the boats.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then shared a recent exchange with a student who clearly has subpar reading skills, but is counting the days until he\u2019ll be out on the water tending his own gear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked him (the student) how he was ever going to run a business, do his taxes, stay on top of changing regulations,\u201d the teacher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis answer:\u00a0 \u2018I\u2019ll hire somebody to do that stuff.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

It is that sense of entitlement and utter faith that the good times will last forever, particularly among younger folks, that has seasoned veterans worried.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the money.<\/p>\n

Ungodly amounts of cash \u2013 $63 million across the docks in Stonington alone last year.\u00a0 And where is it all going?<\/p>\n

New boats.\u00a0 New trucks.\u00a0 All good.<\/p>\n

But then there are the persistent rumors of a dramatic spike in illicit drug use, hard drugs, in many coastal communities.<\/p>\n

And if lobster-borne prosperity has a dark side, many feel this is it.<\/p>\n

We are not going to jump on the \u201csky is falling\u201d train.<\/p>\n

But there is no denying how dependent everyone associated with commercial fishing in Maine has become on a single species and a notoriously cyclical fishery.<\/p>\n

More than 80% of the state\u2019s total landings last year came from lobsters.<\/p>\n

And while price was strong, there are already indictors that warm waters in the Gulf of Maine may precipitate an early spring run of shedders this year, raising hell with the markets.<\/p>\n

We need not look back very far to recall how a season of poor boat prices impacts fishermen and coastal communities across the state.\u00a0 That\u2019s if landings hold up, and there\u2019s no guarantee of that.<\/p>\n

There is also cause for concern regarding the state\u2019s second largest fishery, the softshell clam industry.<\/p>\n

A significant spike in market price benefitted the fishery greatly last year.\u00a0 But landings were down, significantly, amid worries that ocean acidification may damage this vital nearshore resource.<\/p>\n

What does this say for the future of Maine\u2019s shellfish industry?\u00a0 The answer is, nobody really knows.<\/p>\n

So what is the takeaway here?<\/p>\n

A good question and one that we have been pondering since the forum.<\/p>\n

In our view, we should celebrate the unprecedented wealth that is being generated by Maine\u2019s commercial fisheries.<\/p>\n

Those revenues are being reinvested in our coastal communities and the many, many businesses who serve our industry.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no crime in making money.<\/p>\n

But we should also be wary.<\/p>\n

Invest wisely and instill in our children life skills that will sustain them through the good times \u2026 and the bad.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the party \u2013 but try not to wake up with a nasty hangover.\u00a0 \/cfn\/.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Far be it from us to find the dark cloud in an otherwise silver lining \u2026 \u2026 But, as word spread around the recent Maine Fishermen\u2019s Forum of record-breaking landings in the state again last year, the excitement was somewhat tempered. The news was good, for sure, particularly for the booming lobster fishery.\u00a0 Huge landings … <\/p>\n

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