Depleted fisheries

Two recent articles, “Fish supply dropping globally (BDN, Feb. 7-8)” and “When tradition dies (BDN, Feb. 9)” highlight the growing concern over depleted marine fisheries resources. The state of Maine has the opportunity to act against this destructive trend, by legislative protection of the nearly century-old ethic codified these days as the Monhegan Conservation Zone.

LD 2021, written by the Marine Resources Committee, would formalize the conservation zone. While some legislators seem wary that it would adversely affect mainland outport fishermen or would result in similar requests from other year-round islanders off our coast, I believe — and I hope it is their overriding belief — that lines (protective zones) need to be drawn in the sand, mud and ledges of our coastal bottom water. In addition to lobsters, recent examples of depleted and rapidly depleting fish stocks such as tuna, swordfish and cod, as mentioned in the warning in the recent issue of the journal Science, convince that such action is urgent to preserve and conserve future economies and reverse the trend of diminishing resources.

If we, the citizens of Maine, could preserve the Monhegan Conservation Zone, and later, establish others, it would be a forward-looking, highly responsible action. In doing so, the state would provide a leading example of placing high priority on permanent protection of a marine tract that has long maintained its ecological balance and its continued viability as a marine resource for human livelihood. As an investment in the future of our coastal economy, it would pave the way for intensive scientific study that could undergird the renewal of a major marine resource of our coastal waters — one that has always been symbolic of Maine. Gary M. Boone Presque Isle