Marine Spatial Planning

Last week, I mentioned that the idea of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is becoming the next big thing in fisheries management. At the most basic level the idea is akin to zoning laws on land.

The ocean, of course exists in three dimensions and many of the creatures in the ocean migrate from and through zones. However, the idea is that by taking what we know about the ocean we can make plans that will balance the desires to maintain and improve the ocean environment, extract resources from the ocean etc.

A frequent example used to explain how the concept works is the recent change to the shipping lanes approaching Boston Harbor to protect marine mammals, specifically whales, and in this case even more specifically, the North Atlantic Right Whale which is an endangered species. You can see from the image below how moving the channel can reduce the likelihood of a ship striking a whale.

In the image above (Example of the Potential Benefits of CMSP: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Photo Courtesy NOAA)) the dots represent Right Whales and the colors represent baleen whale densities.

Another example that can help explain MSP is how the Lobster Fishery is managed in Maine, where regional councils of fishermen set the rules for their "area". In this case they are managing a single species in a specific area as opposed to an entire eco-system, but the idea is the similar. In the case of the Maine lobster fishery, it is and has been one of the few examples of a prolific fishery that fishermen voluntarily chose restrictions to their catch to ensure the species would be around for future generations.

Some people argue that catch shares serve the same purpose in that giving fishermen a share of the fishery will encourage stewardship over the resource. However, the reality is that fishermen become stewards of the economic value of their share rather than stewards of the resource itself. They only have incentive to care about the resource when it would negatively affect the value of their share. Think of it like the difference between leasing a car and owning a car.

In general MSP does have a lot of potential as a means to deal with the ocean resources and competing interests, and the science to effectively do it is improving all the time. I always suggest reading some of Ted Ames' work on gaddiform populations in the Eastern Gulf of Maine as a way to understand how fish can fit into manageable areas.

Other News and Notes
I think it is about time to blow the lid off the cooking pot here at Cape Ann Fresh Catch blog. We started this blog because we want our members to be informed. Initially we felt that there were so many critical things happening in fisheries issues that we had a responsibility to inform and maybe educate a bit along the way.

However, most every time I talk to CAFCatchers (thats the new name I am giving to members, ) all we ever talk about is cooking fish and fish recipes. To that end, I would like to offer that anyone who would like to contribute an article, recipe, fish experience with the blog should please get in touch.

I am also in the process of trying to line up some guest columnists who can provide different takes on all things seafood.

Last but not least, remember to sign up for the spring season, and make sure to tell folks about CAFC!