THE TURTLE TREATY©

by Jim Lycett, Carrabelle, Florida

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At a time when fisheries managers and environmentalists and fishermen themselves are poised to enter a new era of nuts and bolts resource management some framework is needed from which to go forth. It is time for the grandstanding, stonewalling and political jockeying to give way to common sense solutions accompanied by measurable long term results. The following is one fisherman’s outline of a pact between environmentalists and fishermen that if adhered to by both sides could lead to sensible progress. As a Florida shrimper I have decided to call this the Turtle Treaty because for us the turtle controversy is the definitive, precedent-setting, mother of all regulatory events. But the Turtle Treaty is meant to apply to all fisheries and be a tool for solving problems in all regions of the country. The treaty is in two parts, an environmental prescription and the commercial fisheries reality check.

Seniority of Fishermen:

It is apparently a given in this day and time that fishermen do not have a "right" to fish. But by any yardstick of value, whether it be seniority, tenure, accomplishment, perseverance, tradition or experience, the commercial fisherman is special. It is an unassailable fact that the collective knowledge of commercial fishermen is the preeminent authority of fisheries issues.

Secondly, fishing for a living is a culture. The vast majority of commercial fishing is not factory ships but owner-operated, family run small enterprise. There is a reverence by these people for the spirituality and pureness of their work. That such a point is not recognized by environmentalists confounds fishermen.

Recognition and use by environmentalists of the vast pool of fisheries knowledge as well as an awareness of fishermen’s social and cultural identities will aid immensely in promoting a dialogue. Bottom line: A little respect will go a long way.

Regionalize:

The problems, solutions and successes of the fisheries in this country are as diverse as the biology. There are no parallels between the collapsed cod fishery of the Northeast and the healthy shrimp industry of the Gulf. Environmentalist’s universal mantra of overfishing, collapsed stocks and greed on the high seas must give way to honest and decentralized assessment at the point of origin.

Consistency Across The Board:

One of the sorest points with fishermen is the multitude of double standards that environmentalists abide. A couple of years ago shrimpers were facing huge fines for not using TED’s while at the same time TV reports showed heavy equipment running up and down Panama City Beaches digging huge holes and burying unsightly and smelly sea grasses that had washed up on the beaches just at the beginning of the turtle egg-laying season. Where were the lawsuits then? The recent net ban amendment is another case in point. The environmentalists were out to lunch on this one. They swallowed the sports fishermen’s rhetoric hook, line and sinker without any science to back up their claims and in so doing voted for over-development of the Florida marine environment.

Tales like these are legion around the country and make fishermen awfully suspicious of the extent of environmental commitment. If environmentalists want to gain the respect of and be taken seriously by fishermen then they need to apply the same standards to any factors that affect the health of the resource.

Restrict Regulatory Effort:

Restrict regulatory effort only to species whose total biomass is substantially adversely affected or to maximizing the yield.

The two month Texas closure for shrimping is a prime example of the latter. Although many Texas shrimpers feel that out-of-state boats reap the benefit but don’t share in the pain, no one disputes that the closure allows the shrimp to grow bigger before being harvested increasing both the value and the volume of the harvest. Simple and successful.

The bycatch issue in the Gulf is a good example of the former. I am not saying that the effort to reduce bycatch should cease, but with the exception of turtles and possibly red snapper, shrimp bycatch does not severely impact any marine populations. Not only is the bycatch issue, especially in Florida, a wasteful exercise in bureaucracy, it is also a project that can never have any scientifically quantifiable benefits. Scarce environmental resources can be utilized better elsewhere.

Flexibility:

Fishermen don’t see any mechanization in place in the environmental community to reward success. Whether it is the 97% success rate for TED’s, the total recovery of redfish, closed seasons, or whatever, environmentalists do not seem to want to recognize anything but a crisis mode. Fishermen do not mind sharing in the sacrifices but they also expect to share in the benefits. For meaningful and progressive dialogue to occur, environmentalists have got to learn how to say yes as well as no, and commercial fishermen have got to be able to believe that a managed and healthy resource means that they will have a viable future.

Long Range and Broad Stroke Remedies:

The antithesis of fisheries management is instant gratification. It is paramount for environmentalists to recognize this, work for the long term and avoid sledge-hammer solution. Once again, the 2-month Texas closure for shrimp provides a good example. It maximizes yield, reduces bycatch, is easy to enforce and promotes the health of the resource and the industry. Mesh sizes, count laws, size limits and nursery areas are just a few of the ideas that over the long term can be used to sustain and enhance the resource.

Commercial Fishermen’s Reality Check

Responsibility and Leadership:

Fishermen must recognize that as farmers of the sea they need to accept the mantle of caretakers of the marine environment. We have an unwritten responsibility to leave the waters we harvest from in as good or better shape as we found them. This responsibility extends beyond passive measures and pro-active ones. Fishermen must constantly strive to reduce the impact of their operations on the marine environment.

Much as elected officials and law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard, fishermen, too, when it comes to the environment are going to be held to a higher standard. It is imperative for our survival to get out ahead of the environmental pack and become leaders and not followers.

Let me give an example of what I mean by leadership. Here in Florida the state subsidizes the building of artificial reefs. Some of the favorite material for the building of reefs are old bridge materials and giant culverts and cement pipes. Fish love to congregate inside these structures, but scuba divers are decimating grouper populations by spearfishing on these reefs. Not only is spearfishing here extremely unsportsmanlike but spearfishermen take the largest and most reproductively important fish. Unlike hook and line fishing which encounters many natural safeguards, spearfishing is totally unchecked. Coupled with Florida’s almost nonexistent recreational fisheries enforcement the state is subsidizing the demise of its grouper population. By calling attention to such problems, commercial fishermen can not only act as point men but show leadership in trying to help preserve the marine environment.

National Information Red Cross:

After years of being involved in fisheries issues one of the most startling things I’ve learned is how completely ignorant 99% of the public is to what we do and how we do it. "I didn’t know that", is by far the most common response from individuals and groups I have talked to.

One of the most discouraging aspects of the net ban vote in Florida last November was that all the facts supported the commercial fishermen’s position and we still lost. If there had been a national clearing house for fisheries information that all the environmental groups could consult before coming down on one side or the other of an issue, things might have been different. The general public as well as environmental organizations tend not to believe the word of individuals no matter how sincere.

A no-nonsense, NATIONAL FISHERIES INSTITUTE OR CLEARING HOUSE with an instant ability to disseminate authoritative information on anything from salmon to shrimp, lobster to squid, would benefit commercial fisheries immensely. Educating the public is a key to the commercial fishermen’s survival.

Accessibility:

My wife, only half jokingly, says when people see me, a commercial fisherman, coming down the sidewalk they cross to the other side of the street. Watermen through the ages have always had a rough and tumble reputation but I am afraid that many of us do not perceive how we are perceived. The commercial fisherman’s independence, his emphasis on physical work and his need and ability to solve and fix problems quickly is an enigma to many people in today’s world. What is strange is often shied away from and misunderstood.

If commercial fishermen are to communicate they must become more accessible, not only to the newspaper reporter but to the tourist walking the dock. We need to improve the image and often go our of our way to tell our story. Sacrilegious as it sounds, some of us may need to join environmental organizations to begin to get our side of the story heard and give some input to environmental initiatives. None of us got into fishing because we wanted to be PR men but if we want to keep our jobs we are going to have to get out there and educate.

Technology:

If there is one exciting, positive and encouraging aspect of today’s fisheries it is the potential for new technologies to help solve many of our problems. It may be new types of gear, new ways of preserving your catch, new markets opening up through world wide communication, or new behavioral facts gleaned from high-tech research, the impact of new technologies can not be underestimated. The role of applying these new technologies must rest with us, the commercial fishermen. State and federal research is good and necessary, but the turtle shooter story shows that only the people in the field can design and prefect something that works completely. The notion of resistance to change or, "We’ve been doing it this way for a thousand years", is going to have to give way to an openness to ideas and the belief that there might be a better way to build this mousetrap.

Cost of Doing Business:

Commercial fishermen around the world have to recognize that protecting and improving the environment is a cost of doing business, just as diesel fuel, insurance or the mortgage are. Once one accepts this fact it is easier to deal with reducing this cost and it’s easier to deal with those that want to increase the cost.

Environmentalists and commercial fishermen need each other. Environmentalists need our vast pool of knowledge as well as our instantaneous ability to report on the environmental condition of the marine environment anywhere in the country. Commercial fishermen need the political clout that environmental organizations have. The long-term interests of both groups are the same and it’s way past time to stop being adversaries and start being partners in preserving the natural wonders and natural resources of this country.

Finis