The introduction of new rules and regulations will undoubtedly have an impact on the livelihoods of fishermen and other members of the fishing community. Quotas, taxes, technological regulations, and marine protected areas will all restrict the freedom fishermen to fish and the elimination of subsidies will likely increase the costs of fishing. It should Nevertheless, it must be noted , however, that the regulations proposals of Mission 2011 proposes are not aimed at destroying the fishing industry -- because we, too, realize the importance of fish in our lives and that many of us are not necessarily willing to revert switch to a fish-free diet ourselves -- but rather, to begin a transition from depleting fish stocks to sustaining them. This transition is necessary in order to secure the supply of fish and success of the fishing industry in the years and decades to come.
That said, change is inevitable, and there is no solution to the global fisheries problem that does not involve reducing the number of fish that are caught, and, in turn, reducing the number of people who make a living through the fishing industry. Just as workers in the auto industry have been displaced by machines, the abacus upgraded to the calculator, and lead in gasoline phased out in order to accommodate catalytic converters (Lovei, 1998), some fishermen will need to leave the industry and seek a new occupation in the long run. Even without the regulations we are suggesting, fishing can never be as profitable as it was in the past due to declining fish stocks. Communities centered around fishing need to adapt to a system that limits fishing or risk a sudden, irreparable economic downturn that will result when the fish population collapses.
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