After remaining the busting industry in the Shinnecock Inlet the commercial fishing currently pause due to non-cooperative regulation. William Read, a commercial fisherman out of Shinnecock, told that once the industry only had fishermen but now there are politicians and above the federal regulation. According to Nancy Solomon, folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions, the reasons for such a decline are complicated. She said that between the federal regulations limiting when and what fisherman can catch and the climate changes from global warming, it is what we call the perfect storm of fisheries.
Read informed that the area has gone through dramatic changes as there used to be about 41 full-time boats in Shinnecock, and now there are around 10 if we are lucky. He added that the federal regulations came into being in1996 under Magnuson-Stevens Act and that has severely curtailed the ability of fishermen everywhere to bring in lucrative catches. He explained that due to restrictions placed on how much one can catch of a specific species. In addition, there are restrictions of when a species can be caught.
According to Read now it takes several days to make an amount worth just $5,000. he cites example when we are limited to catching 240 pounds of fluke, which is worth $1,000, it costs $500 in fuel. He further adds there are some days when the regulations, which are constantly changing, make it not even cost effective to go out and fish at all. New York State Department of Conservation spokesperson Lori O’Connell informed that the agency’s primary responsibility is to oversee the proliferation of resources, rather than to be mindful of the industry.
