Impossible? Commerce Secretary Locke Appeases Both Environmentalists and Industry Heads

It's a tough, even mythical thing to do, to find middle ground for both environmental and business interests in one fell swoop. But both groups seem to be approving a move made late last night by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. Addressing issues of collapsing fisheries and the decline of ocean health that is leading to and being caused by climate change, Locke made a sweeping move to limit the expansion of commercial fishing in U.S. waters in the north Pacific. Set to go into effect as soon as next year, the plan would halt increased industrial fishing over a 200,000-square-mile area in the icy waters of the Beaufort Sea as scientists can further research local species like Arctic cod and snow crab currently over sought by commercial vessels.

Issues of commercial fishing often come with intense economic undertones. Demand for scaled creatures currently stands at a worldwide high, especially for the species that humans eat most, like Atlantic cod and Bluefin tuna. But populations of both have hit near rock bottom over the past decade as loose fishing regulations have led to a virtual emptying of the seas. The situation paints the north Pacific in a unique and lucrative light: as permanent sea ice melts as an effect of climate change, waters that had formerly been locked up would now become open for business.

Locke, essentially, said no. With guidance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (which approved the plan earlier this year), Locke's department foresaw a slippery slope that would arise from fishing—and presumably, overfishing—one of the last unfished yet still accessible parts of the globe. “As Arctic sea ice recedes due to climate change, there is increasing interest in commercial fishing in Arctic waters," said Locke. “We are in a position to plan for sustainable fishing that does not damage the overall health of this fragile ecosystem."

To that lyric, environmental groups answered with a loud refrain. Washington-based ocean advocacy group The Ocean Conservancy called the decision a "landmark" one, championing federal leadership on halting the degradation of a formerly untouched area. "This is a crucial step towards ensuring good decision-making in the Arctic Ocean for the indigenous communities that depend on its abundance as well as for the many marine mammals and other species that live there," said Marilyn Heiman, director of the Pew Environment Group's Arctic program.

On environmental issues, it's unusual for industry leaders to clap just as loudly (see "trade, cap and"), but the business plot seems to also have a happy ending. While commercial fishermen will have to forgo added lucrative contracts in the north Pacific, some see it as a down payment on the industry's future. Success of the fishing industry relies on a constant and sustainable supply: a high yield one year almost certainly brings a dry one the next. And it's not just a single-player game. Since many of the world's oceans are open to international interests, one country's demurred patience for fish to repopulate paves the road for other countries to swoop in sooner. That's exactly what happened in the mid ‘80s, when some fish species were depleted in the Bering Sea. Halting that same storyline from playing out in waters the U.S.controls? They'd be hard pressed to argue it's a bad idea.