Part III: It starts at home
I was hoping that I would get to the third part of this “Who Owns the Ocean?” series and find myself bringing it all together, clarifying a path forward, and not necessarily answering the question of who owns the ocean, but at least being able to clearly distinguish among the different wars currently waged on the water. I really wanted to identify one piece of it that we could all get behind or rally around ... but instead I find myself still struggling to specify the problem – or, more accurately, the plethora of problems – and how we might measure what success looks like if we were able to tackle those problems.
In Part I of this series, I examined the difference between the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and suggested that NMFS dehumanizes the commercial fishing industry while the USDA elevates the role farmers play in the food system. I thought that how the government promotes and talks about fishing and seafood might be the problem.
It's only part of the problem, however.
In the second part of the series, I described how NMFS organizes its data and how it leaves quite a lot of room for improvement. I thought that maybe the data that is used to manage our fisheries and the ocean might be the keystone problem.
But it’s also just a part of the problem.
So, my original goal in this third installment was to wrap it up – but then I realized there was one other thing I wanted to include when trying to answer the question of who owns the ocean: what about the working waterfront?
There’s competition on the shoreline in Maine with issues around agency and ownership that are similar to what’s happening in the middle of the Gulf of Maine.
In the future, if commercial fishermen can continue to fish the ocean, it’s not going to be easy to get there if we don’t have access to it.
So, that’s also part of the problem.
A popular place
According to Atlas Van Lines, Maine was the second most moved-to state in the country last year. I think our coastal communities especially gained a lot of new residents as people sought solace, safety, and a nice view of the water.
On one hand, our state needs workers, businesses, and people willing to spend their dollars; on the other hand, we also want people who understand what it’s like to live near an active wharf. Maine is beautiful but the winters are tough, the boats can be noisy, and people get up early to go to work.
So, how can we help educate new residents in coastal communities about the working waterfront to mitigate conflict?
Just over a decade ago, Maine Sea Grant and others created two guides – one in Moosabec and one in Harpswell – to help new residents understand what a working waterfront is. The guides described the sights, sounds, and smells that accompany a working waterfront.
Recently, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA), inspired by these past guides, created a new pamphlet for use in Harpswell. Scuttlebutt: A Guide to Living and Working in a Waterfront Community was developed in partnership with local organizations and includes information about the different types of fisheries in Harpswell; ways that homeowners can minimize their impacts on the town’s coastal environment; tips for cooking local seafood; and information about preserving access for future generations to work on the waterfront along with many other resources.
The title of the guide speaks to its intention to provide the insider information (or “scuttlebutt”) to those living near Harpswell’s waterfront to foster a sense of community and shared values. The guide is available at the town hall and local businesses and will be distributed throughout the summer months to new residents and visitors.
Working with partners to create this guide was extremely satisfying – I felt I was working on a problem (people need education about the working waterfront) with potential impact (information will help mitigate conflict on the waterfront), and that the solution is scalable (MCFA can work with other coastal communities to replicate the guide).
When my brain returns to who owns the ocean, however, that satisfaction disappears. In its place, I find frustration, sadness, and waning motivation. I know I’m not alone in those feelings and have spoken with many fishermen who have expressed similar feelings along with a desire to better understand exactly where – at which problem – to direct their energy.
BHAGs vs SMART goals
So, while I still can’t answer who owns the ocean, I think we can think about where our efforts, individually and collectively, can potentially make a difference: in our communities.
There are two important kinds of goals to set when attempting to achieve something, according to the book Built to Last by Jim Collins.
BHAGs are big, hairy audacious goals, according to author Collins. BHAGs make you think big and create a plan for long-term success; they become a driving force and define a vision for the future.
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They are the smaller goals that you need to conquer on your way to achieving your BHAG.
Protecting the Gulf of Maine from offshore wind development is a BHAG.
Efforts to protect the working waterfront in your own community is a SMART goal.
While seemingly unrelated to who owns the ocean, efforts to advocate for the fishing industry in your own community can have lasting and growing impacts – for example, the Scuttlebutt guide MCFA created.
Garnering more advocates for the industry; helping to educate residents about commercial fishing and seafood; sharing with them the bigger obstacles that fishermen are facing; and getting involved in town committees – these are all things we can do to help protect the working waterfront and ocean.
I think the answer to “Who owns the ocean?” is actually ... no one.
The problem is that some groups are using this ambiguity to exploit the ocean for their own gains.
For fishermen, fishing families, and industry advocates looking for ways to protect the Gulf of Maine, perhaps starting in our own communities will ultimately help us #SaveMaineLobstermen in the long run.
This article was originally published in the November issue of Commercial Fisheries News. You can subscribe to the publication HERE. This is the first part of a series, Who Owns the Ocean in my column, Catch-22 that appears in CFN every other month.
