Maybe my comment about not being willing to see the film was a bit hasty but it was based on my frustrated recollection of the flawed, deliberately overly dramatic Myers/Worm paper which no doubt served their purpose and yours handsomely. It hasn’t helped solve remaining problems which are far too complex for this forum though I will try to give readers a flavor. And I will view the film when I am sure doing so does not profit fear mongers. Feel free to send me a copy to R.Ruais at P.O. Box 447, Salem, NH 03079 and I will send you a free copy of my testimony in return so we can both be educated. I will also send you and my wish is that Whole Foods would distribute NOAA’s Fish Watch Brochure on the swordfish success story: rebuilding the resource 3 years ahead of schedule largely on the backs of American fishermen with more then 2 million square nautical miles of closed areas, implementation of circle hooks and mandatory training programs on the use of dehooking devices and other techniques to maximize survival of bycatch of other pelagic living marine resources.

The problem in the Atlantic has been a dysfunctional European Community, inadequate European and North African country fishery management infrastructure, industry ignorance and greed (particularly Mediterranean based and Asian fishing industry) all providing a formidable obstacle to repeating the swordfish success with, for example, North Atlantic bluefin tuna a more complex and poorly biologically understood resource with occassionally significant value. Basic data on stock structure, mixing patterns, spawning information and sexual maturity remains poorly known.

The problem has also included a failed US international fish policy, executed at the NOAA level,of attempting to “lead by example” with unilateral fishery restriction imposed on our domestic fleet. Because fish matters are generally a low level priority within presidential administrations our unilateral conservation sacrifices (although occassionally appreciated by other countries benefiting from temporarily higher catch rates and prices) do not serve the purpose of long term resource wide sustainability. In simple terms, although we try to lead in practice, when we look over our shoulder (or fish rail to rail on the high seas with competing nations) no one is following our lead.

Our leadership will not produce the desired results until fisheries are elevated as a matter of national policy. Countries simply do not take the US serious on fisheries, are glad to accept our disproportionate share of conservation and until US fish negotiations have the attention at the highest levels of the State, Commerce Department’s and the Administration, we will continue to spin our wheels. Fish are the chips for the State Department on other matters deemed more important. We see it repeatedly. There is no leverage provided our fish negotiators beyond low level communications and relatively meaningless pre-meetings.

But the tools are available because of US fishing industry lobbying, in the form of trade sanctions mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the High Seas Driftnet Moratorium Protection Act, if the political will (and obstinate lawyers) were available at NOAA and State to implement them against any fishing nations not employing “comparable” fishing restrictions imposed on US fishermen to minimize bycatch and maximize bycatch survival.

So you see Mr. Hird, suggesting that sustainability should reside in the hands of US consumers, or seafood markets or profit driven “certification” entities is a bankrupt and dangerous strategy. Just what would be accomplished by looping your doom and gloom “End of the Line” in front of potential seafood buyers — a walk to the meat counter?

It is a US government responsibility and where the competency lies to uncover the continuing international conservation scofflaws and have the gov’t stop the illegal fish from entering the US market. Putting this complicated, fact intensive job in the hands of restaurants/fish markets only risks hurting law abiding US fishermen held to highest conservation standards of fishermen anywhere in the world today.

Thanks to Whole Foods for the opportunity to set some facts straight. And please Whole Foods, consider distributing NOAA Fish Watch Brochures on responsible conservation and sustainable fisheries like those produced by American fishermen for swordfish, sea scallops, haddock and many more. Send me an address MS Carrie Brownstein and I will mail you sample NOAA brochures to consider.

Rich Ruais

World famed scientist Dr. Michael Sissenwine (former NOAA Chief Scientist, Director Northeast Fisheries Service Lab, Woodls Hole, MA, etc.)commented that most of the decline cited by Worm’s paper occurred more than 50 years ago before the establishment of many major international Regional Management Organizations (RMO’s) were even formed. He noted that “…humanity cannot harvest the oceans and expect to leave behind a pristine environment” and that aqn “aggressive regulatory” programs in the US and world-wide had been formed to tackle problem fisheries which continue to exists such as the North Atlantic bluefin tuna, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea. After the initial controversy even Myers agreed that “when fisheries management is used…there is not a concern about the biomass reducing by 50 or 60 or even 70%”.

The need is to get political pressure on the RFMO’s to get stocks to BMSY (the biomass level necessary to produce maximum sustainable yield” as noted by Gerencer above has been done for haddock, swordfish, yellowfin tuna and many more species. It is absolutely wrong and irresponsible in my view to tell consumers they are responsible for sustaining fish populations by their seafood choices based on recommendations from groups of questionable competency and motivations. For example Carl Safina’s site still list swordfish as avoid because of overfishing when the next assessment will likely show the stock is beyond BMSY.

And please Mr. Hird, when you ask Whole Foods to run your show in all their outlets why not just ask them for a blank check instead.

The studies world-wide demonstrating the health and life prolonging benefits of increased seafood consumption are overwhelming especially for young children. The omega-3 and selenium benefits for healthy hearts, neurological and developmental skills clearly outweigh any risks from mercury as more and more science shows every year. At a recent conference “Proceedings of the International Symposium on Selenium-mercury Interactions” scientist M.F. Flores-Arce concluded that “the evidence of harm by the mercury in fish to humans is scant and leading nutrition experts have in fact concluded that the health benefits of seafood, if only as a sourcve of omega-3 fatty acids,greatl outweigh and potential risk associated with the presence of mercury.” Studies or movies that scare the public away from seafood consumption are irresponsible to the health and longevity of human beings, in my view.

Sustainability battles will be continued in RFMO’s and great strides have already been made. Responsible stores like Whole Foods should aggressively advertise the health benefits of seafood to their customers and not carry out the agenda of doom and gloom profiteers.