Great Post TK!
Having worked in fisheries and natural resource management for the past 20 years, your story is a very common one. Only the place and species change.
Once fishing becomes totally about how to optimize short-term cash flow, the fishery is usually over-exploited pretty quickly. Modern industrial fishing practices are really difficult to manage because the speed at which the fish are captured. By the time managers or local fishermen notice the problem, it is already too late. These commercial practices are not in intended to be "sustainable", only to make as much money as possible before either the fish stock collapses or the regulations change to prohibit such actions.
If the fish are public resources of the people of Tennessee (paid for by many years of fishing licenses), then this amounts to cashing in all of our fish resources for the gain of a few private individuals.
I am all for private enterprise, and I run a small business, but regulations need to restrict destructive business and fisheries practices while allowing constructive practices. This is a difficult and ever changing effort.
In reality, this is not much different than the recent real estate crash. Years of sustainable growth, followed by poor management and regulation, resulting in a boom (lots of money made quickly with crazy loan strategies) and then a bust which will take years to recover from.
Hopefully, TWRA is allowed to continue to effectively manage the states fisheries resources for the long term benefit of all Tennesseans and not for the short term benefit of a few.
Again, great story TK. It really shows the range of practices (both good and bad) that fall under the general name of commercial fishing.
Jim
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