We have been following the plight of commercial fishing on the Great Lakes for several years. As a result, we have been contacted by folks around the country to let us know that the assault on commercial fishing for wild-caught fish is not only happening in Michigan but every fishing area in North America.
I came across author J.Everheart who writes children’s books and crafts on a website called Simple Southern. She is a native of Hatteras Island, North Carolina. After spending some 14 years in the suburbs of Atlanta, she moved back to her hometown and sought a “quieter life on a remote sandbar.”
One of my favorite posts on Everheart’s site was when she spent time with her father, a commercial fisherman, on Hatteras Island. She outlines a story of a dwindling way of life. This livelihood is fading for the same reason that commercial fishing is being sidelined in the Great Lakes; tourism. It’s all about money and the promotion of the multibillion-dollar tourist economy of recreational fishing. Just like the Great Lakes, the ocean ecosystem of the Outer Banks is being managed for aqua-tourism.
A Glimpse of A Day with an Outer Banks Fisherman
Everheart gives some of the best descriptions of some of the asinine rules that commercial fishers operate in the Outer Banks as they do here in Michigan. She also outlines some of the chilling facts about farm-raised seafood that Americans import and consume from Asia and Canada.
Everheart’s stories really make you think. Are we going to be left with no ability to get to eat fresh, local seafood? The alternative is to depend on huge corporate operations run by foreign countries that don’t have any of our regulations to prevent over-fishing or indiscriminate killing of animals like porpoises and sea turtles. It’s a dilemma that our lawmakers in Lansing better get a handle on.
Everheart’s first story, Commercial Fishing with my Dad in Cape Hatteras, describes fishing on the Outerbanks. It’s the story of a small-scale fisherman who goes out every day to make a living. It also points out that these fishers care about the environment and use sustainable methods.
The second story is more poignant. Commercial Fishing with My Dad- Why You Should Eat Wild Caught American Fish. She outlines the fishing practices and rules that small Outer Bank fishers operate that will leave you shaking your head. Lastly, Everheart’s story will give you pause about buying just about any frozen fish from Asia or Canada.
Related Wild Caught Fish Articles on Thumbwind
I love salmon and have tried finding some that are not processed from China. Seems everything in the grocery store comes from there.
You might try smaller shops dedicated to seafood.
Living in St Johns nothing like that exists. Guess I need to check with towns nearby.