Conservation

I'm concerned that recent actions by the current administration are undermining effective wildlife and fisheries management. While I agree that the sheer number of agencies and regulations can be overwhelming, we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

For instance, when a fish stock is already overfished, like the striped bass along the East Coast, does it really make sense to allow unrestricted commercial fishing? To me, that seems like a short-sighted approach with potentially serious long-term consequences. We've seen how positive interventions can work, just look at the recovery of mackerel and pogies.

The same principles apply to wildlife. It's wonderful to see eagles and osprey thriving now – a stark contrast to my younger days when even a single sighting was rare. However, other species, like the bobolink, still require stronger protections. And while commercial harvesting of wildlife might be less prevalent, it's still a threat. Here in Maine, for example, we're advised not to disclose wood turtle locations to prevent their collection for the export trade.

Ultimately, while streamlining regulations might be beneficial, a wholesale push for deregulation and commercialization would be detrimental to everyone, especially future generations. We need thoughtful conservation of our resources into the future, not a race to the bottom.