Fish on Fridays

In this series

A ‘Day of Reckoning’ for the New England Groundfishery
Fishing boats are seen at the commercial fishing pier, Wednesday, February 1, 2012, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (AP/Jim Cole)
Article

A ‘Day of Reckoning’ for the New England Groundfishery

Though new fishing regulations on New England fishermen are stricter than ever before, they are still the best hope for an industry on the verge of potential collapse.

Michael Conathan

Hurricane Sandy, Climate Change, and the Future of Fish
Brian Hajeski, 41, of Brick, New Jersey, reacts as he looks at debris of a home that washed up on to the Mantoloking Bridge the morning after Hurricane Sandy rolled through, Tuesday, October 30, 2012, in Mantoloking, New Jersey. (AP/Julio Cortez)
Article

Hurricane Sandy, Climate Change, and the Future of Fish

The sudden post-Sandy shift in the national dialogue about climate change shouldn’t ignore the fishing industry.

Michael Conathan

Innovations to Increase and Stabilize Fishing Profits
Glen Libby shows a cod fish to a youngster at the Port Clyde Fresh Catch stand at the Farmer's Market in Rockland, Maine. (AP/Robert F. Bukaty)
Article

Innovations to Increase and Stabilize Fishing Profits

Two methods in particular—community-supported fisheries and underutilized species—provide a framework for how both fishermen and consumers can get more value from American seafood.

Michael Conathan

Time for New England to Hit the ‘Reset’ Button
Earlier this week the Red Sox hit the
Article

Time for New England to Hit the ‘Reset’ Button

Michael Conathan recommends New England’s groundfish industry take a cue from its beloved baseball team and take the bold, painful steps needed for long-term success.

Michael Conathan

Caution vs. Recklessness in the Arctic
Ships bringing oil drilling equipment to Alaska, left, pass through Seattle's Elliott Bay as a Washington State Ferry passes on its way into Seattle, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP/Donna Gordon Blankinship)
Article

Caution vs. Recklessness in the Arctic

Michael Conathan shows how the oil-and-gas industry could learn from fishermen’s approach to Arctic resources.

Michael Conathan

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Lobster
Cooked lobster claws and tails are seen at a lobster dealer in Portland, Maine. (AP/Pat Wellenbach)
Article

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Lobster

Michael Conathan explains how the record-low price of lobster is another economic effect of global climate change.

Michael Conathan

Cape Wind Project and Fishermen Seal a Deal
Supporters of the Cape Wind project to put wind turbines on the coast of Cape Cod gather outside the state house in Boston. The project cleared a major hurdle this week with an agreement to share the ocean space with fishermen.
<br /> (AP/Bizuayehu Tesfaye)
Article

Cape Wind Project and Fishermen Seal a Deal

Michael Conathan explains what a settlement between Cape Wind and Martha’s Vineyard fishermen means for fishing, energy, and ocean planning.

Michael Conathan

Long-Term Fishery Investments Starting to Pay Off
Coho salmon, above, are one of six species declared fully rebuilt last year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (AP/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Article

Long-Term Fishery Investments Starting to Pay Off

Fish populations are starting to rebuild thanks to strict catch limits, writes Michael Conathan. Wholesale changes to the law would be a mistake.

Michael Conathan

The Ethics of Seafood
Mature rainbow trout struggle in a net at Harrietta Hills Trout Farm near Harrietta, Michigan. There are many ethical questions surrounding whether we should eat farmed fish as opposed to wild fish.
<br /> (AP/John L. Russell)
Article

The Ethics of Seafood

Michael Conathan probes the ethical issue of wild versus farmed seafood.

Michael Conathan

Sustaining Seafood Sustainability
A "Seafood Watch" sign with a color-coded rating program hangs over the seafood counter in Whole Foods in Hillsboro, Oregon. (AP/ Rick Bowmer)
Article

Sustaining Seafood Sustainability

Michael Conathan shows seafood sustainability initiatives must figure out how to sustain fishermen as well as fish.

Michael Conathan

Sensible Ocean Policy Falling Victim to Political Games
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) relentlessly attacks the administration's National Ocean Policy even though it would streamline government involvement, eliminate duplication of effort, and ensure taxpayers get more value for their dollars. (AP/Young Kwak)
Article

Sensible Ocean Policy Falling Victim to Political Games

Michael Conathan explains how the National Ocean Policy benefits America’s fisheries and why conservatives’ attacks on the policy don’t hold up.

Michael Conathan

Sustaining the ‘Wicked Tuna’
National Geographic's new series "Wicked Tuna" puts the spotlight on the bluefin tuna, a fish that has become one of the world’s poster children for overfishing. (AP/Monterey Bay Aquarium)
Article

Sustaining the ‘Wicked Tuna’

Michael Conathan explains why the best way to save the overfished bluefin tuna is to support New England’s artisanal fishery.

Michael Conathan

Lamenting the Loss of an Ocean Champion
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) speaks to media outside her office on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)
Article

Lamenting the Loss of an Ocean Champion

Michael Conathan explains how Sen. Olympia Snowe’s retirement will affect our oceans and fisheries.

Michael Conathan

The Uncertain Science of Fisheries
Crewmen on the trawler Erika-Lynn of Port Clyde, Maine, work on rigging while fishing in the Gulf of Maine. (AP/Robert F. Bukaty)
Article

The Uncertain Science of Fisheries

Michael Conathan explains the fluctuations inherent in fisheries science and why stability is fundamental to sustainability.

Michael Conathan

The Top 5 Fish Stories of 2011
Characters from the film "Finding Nemo" are shown at the Pixar headquarters in Emeryville, California. In the film, three frightening sharks claimed “fish are friends not food.” Actions combating the practice of shark finning helped us return the sentiment. (AP/Paul Sakuma)
Article

The Top 5 Fish Stories of 2011

Michael Conathan enumerates the top developments of the year for fisheries.

Michael Conathan

Defining a Fishery Disaster
Fishing vessels form a flotilla in Vineyard Haven Harbor, in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. (AP/Steven Senne)
Article

Defining a Fishery Disaster

Michael Conathan explains why New England’s groundfishery may be on the brink of disaster, but not for the reasons called out by some politicians.

Michael Conathan

10 Tips on Sustainable Sushi
The Tabu Sushi Bar and Grill in El Cajon, California, is shown. As with shopping for fish at the grocery, some choices at the sushi bar are better than others for the envrionment. (AP/Lenny Ignelzi)
Article

10 Tips on Sustainable Sushi

Michael Conathan’s advice on what to consider when you sit down at the sushi bar.

Michael Conathan

Optimism for New England’s Groundfishery
The trawler Black Beauty leaves the Portland Fish Exchange, in Portland, Maine. Stakeholders in New England's fisheries need to find common ground on managing them. (AP/Robert F. Bukaty)
Article

Optimism for New England’s Groundfishery

More emotionally charged rhetoric won’t pull New England’s storied fishing industry back from the brink, writes Michael Conathan. It will take compromise on all sides.

Michael Conathan

The Newest Redlist Species: Commercial Fishermen
Shell fisherman Darren Saletta heads out to the flats from Barn Hill Landing in Chatham, Massachusetts. Commercial fishing jobs declined in recent years. (AP/Julia Cumes)
Article

The Newest Redlist Species: Commercial Fishermen

Jobs in commercial fishing are down, but lawmakers’ attacks on fisheries management systems will not solve the problem, says Michael Conathan.

Michael Conathan

What I Did on My Summer Vacation
Coast Guard Beach is shown in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. (AP/Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Margo Tabb)
Article

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Michael Conathan explains why, despite what we see on the surface, the oceans are not OK.

Michael Conathan

The (Nonsensical) Politics of Fisheries Funding
Article

The (Nonsensical) Politics of Fisheries Funding

Michael Conathan wonders what legislators are thinking by slashing budgets to maintain the fisheries that support millions of jobs and put food on our tables.

Michael Conathan

Twelve Million Lines in the Water
Article

Twelve Million Lines in the Water

Michael Conathan debunks the perception that recreational fishing doesn’t harm fish stocks and offers ways to reduce your impact while enjoying the sport.

Michael Conathan

Dealing with the Aquaculture Dilemma
Margarito Adame unloads California farmed hybrid striped bass into an ice container near Mecca, California, to be shipped for market. As world population and prosperity increases, so too will the demand for fish, and we won’t be able to meet this demand solely with fish caught in the wild. Aquaculture will have to continue to play a role. (AP/Ric Francis)
Article

Dealing with the Aquaculture Dilemma

Michael Conathan argues that farmed fish are a fact of life and we should continue efforts that attempt to make the practice safer.

Michael Conathan

The International Politics of Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna are shown inside Maricultura's tuna pens near Ensenada, Mexico. (AP/Chris Park)
Article

The International Politics of Bluefin Tuna

NOAA’s decision not to list bluefin tuna as endangered may not be popular, says Michael Conathan. But it was the right move.

Michael Conathan

Sustainable Supermarket Sweep
Filets are displayed at a supermarket in Princeton, New Jersey. (AP/Brian Branch-Price)
Article

Sustainable Supermarket Sweep

Michael Conathan braves the aisles to find out which of our nation’s grocery stores are paying attention to where their fish come from.

Michael Conathan

Maximizing the Value of America’s Fisheries
Joe McKinnon processes herring using a salt machine at the Jodrey State Fish Pier,  in Gloucester, Massachusetts. (AP/Lisa Poole)
Article

Maximizing the Value of America’s Fisheries

Many U.S. fisheries have gone from overfishing to underfishing in just a few years, writes Michael Conathan. We need to strike the right balance with regulations.

Michael Conathan

The End of Overfishing in America
A fisherman unloads a portion of his catch for the day at Pigeon Cove Whole Foods docks in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Eric Schwaab, the administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service, announced this week that overfishing will end in U.S. waters. (AP/Lisa Poole)
Article

The End of Overfishing in America

Michael Conathan reports some good news for our nation’s fisheries and fishermen.

Michael Conathan

Waking from the Gluttony
The crew of the Lovey Joann mends their net at the Thompsen Harbor in Sitka, Alaska. (AP/Chris Miller)
Article

Waking from the Gluttony

The first in a new series from Michael Conathan outlines the issues confronting our nation’s fisheries.

Michael Conathan