Fishermen are no longer able to catch more fish to make more money. The only way for them to earn more, is for them to be paid more for their fish.
New England’s groundfishermen are now fishing under the most sustainable management system yet devised. While this is a step forward in the effort to rebuild groundfish stocks, the sustainability will come at a price-a price that will primarily fall on the shoulders of the fishermen.
How will these increased costs be supported by an already struggling fishery?
If we, as consumers, want this more sustainable fishery to remain viable, we need to support fishermen not just with our words, but with our wallets.
If consumers want fewer fish taken from the ocean, the fishermen need to make more money per pound in order to survive.
It’s easy to say that consumers should “buy local” or “buy direct,” however many people who enjoy fish do not live within striking distance of a local fisherman. And the majority of fishermen are not set up for direct sales.
So how do we make sure that fishermen, working under this new, more sustainable management system, are getting paid enough to cover their costs, make a living and continue fishing?
In an ideal world, the consumer could assume that if they are paying $10 a pound for fish in the supermarket, that the fisherman at the other end of the chain was getting his fair share. But in reality, that is often not the case.
One idea is that perhaps a minimum price should be set for fish landed under new sector regulations. Some say that this interferes with the free market. But with the amount of regulation separating consumer demand and fishing effort, it could be argued that the groundfish industry is not operating within the free market anyway.
Such a system would give consumers peace of mind, knowing that the fisherman was paid a fair price for his effort. And the fisherman would know, before he went fishing, that he would get paid a base price for his fish on his return.
A minimum price is just one idea to make sure that fishermen are being paid fairly for their catch; there could be other solutions. But the fundamental issue is that fishermen are being required to fish more sustainably, but receive no financial reward for their efforts. If we require fishermen to catch less, we need to find a way to pay them more. We are all in this together.