There is a fine balance with the Great Lakes. They provide an income to the business community including shipping. But, that must be balanced with commercial interests in real estate and tourism. It would not be the Great Lakes without that balance. I am sure Canada is pleased today
The commercial fishers are giving Governor Whitmer arguments. As if she is the only governor along the Great Lakes. They are complaining they will be going out of business. They will be going out of business anyway because the lakes have been overfished for four years and the fisheries are depleted. I don’t remember the Great Lakes ever depleted of commercial fisheries because they were well managed.
This is what anarchy does to an economy. The Great Lakes have a carrying capacity for fish. That is why commercial fishing has existed for so long, but, when they are overfished it can collapse fresh water fishing for years. Fish can only lay so many eggs each year. That includes the state’s ability to stock rivers. Fishing along Michigan rivers is a much sought after sport and past time.
Commercial fishers need to behave and harken back to when there was sufficient fisheries and not stressed fisheries from overfishing. What often happens when governance of fisheries are lost (deregulation) is an increase number of commercial fishing enterprises. The larger number of fishing enterprises then complains that the government is doing something wrong because their catch is too low and they can’t keep a healthy cash-flow.
No, that is not it. Somewhere in the magical thinking of supply side economics there is supposed to be an over abundance of fish everyday. The fisheries be they fresh water or ocean have limits. It only makes sense that a limited number of fish divided among more and newer fishing enterprises means there will be less income for ALL the commercial fishers.
Grow up! This is not the magical world of Disney!
