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Article Writer: Dohason Fala
Article Date: December 20th
Collapsing Fish Stocks Force Koros to Adopt Strict Catch Limits
Marine wildlife scientists have sounded the alarm up and down the Korosian coast; saltwater fish species that make up the bulk of local catch have plummeted in number. It is the first time in the federations history that less than 35% of tracked fish stocks are in the “healthy” category. In response to the continual decline of stocks, minister of environment Dyami Hoteph held an emergency meeting between himself, First Speaker Tahki Odina, minister of finance Omusa Genesee, and a handful of advisors. In an act of transparency they decided to domestically broadcast the deliberations. Below is a small transcript of their conversation, as well as the final legislation put up for vote.
Tahki: "…Excuse me for needing to ask this, but how did we end up in this position in the first place?
Dyami: "It appears previous administrations did track fish stocks, but didn’t ease up on fishing directives even after decline became apparent. We’re just facing the inevitable.
Tahki: “So then what needs to be done?”
Dyami: “A lil less fishing.”
Genesee: “That’s it?”
Dynami: "Listen, we’ve been put into a loose loose scenario. Either we keep hauling at current rates: in which case there will be no more fish TO fish. That, or we drastically reduce our catch rate for the remainder of our administration, and enact measures to prevent stock decline in the future.
Genesee: “This recession seems to drag on and on… I told you, Tahki, not to pull funds away from business welfare for that frankly asinine ‘religious construction’ subsides idea. Now I get to handle the headache from that, the various complaints about our printing capabilities, and less fish sales!”
Tahki: “It was a piece of well intended legislation; though Koros seems to be moving further into secularism, we mustn’t let the needs and wants of the religious be ignored.”
Genesee: “Oh, is that right? How many of those construction projects - temples, I guess - are actually in service? I bet the paperwork for them to be placed isn-”
Dynami: "With all due respect, minister Genesee, we must get back on topic. We track, approximately, 147 different species of fish stock. Just 51 of those are regarded as “healthy”- that means they’re not endangered and can be freely harvested with most measures. Any stock that’s not healthy will need quota measures put in place to prevent disaster.
Genesee: “How many economically important species of fish are effected?”
Dynami: "HO! Ho ho, too many, my friend.
He slid a binder towards Genesee who started reading at a diligent pace.
Dynami: "It’s the total fish stock report, from a few post secondary schools close to to the coast, and a large group of alumni working as ocean scientists. They - in laymen’s terms - point out that every species of fish that Korosian fisheries prefer targeting for food is considered critical, or cautious.
Genesee brought up the pointer and middle finger of his left hand, and still reading, began rubbing his brow in a mix of anxiety and frustration. “There won’t be famine, right?”
Tahki: “No, of course not.”
Genesee: “My head feels light like I’m starving.”
Tahki let a breath of exasperation escape him. “While this feels like a colossal setback, it is not that dramatic. We can enforce catching quotas easily, and our large agriculture base means no one’s going hungry.”
Dynami: “I’d have to agree. We have to act decisively, and quickly; but not all is lost. A few migratory fish stocks will necessitate the creation of a cooperative body between ourselves and coastal neighbors.”
Genesee: “One more thing to finance…”
Tahki: “You speak as if no one’s watching.”
Genesee looked away from the material and towards who was, effectively, his boss. "These changes are doable, but tough. I’ll have to coordinate with my aides on how this impacts timelines for some of our propositions.
Tahki nodded. “That’s fine, thank you. If we’re done here?”
Dynami rose from his seat and walked off camera- presumably towards the “off” switch as the broadcast ceases shortly afterwards.
The harshest measurements have been placed on the Akon Bay Salmon and Akon Bay Whitefish species, and they require fisheries to incorporate a sustainable harvest strategy. This strategy, so named to promote sustainability, leads companies to avoid over fishing when stocks are healthy, and to fish less in times that “would cause irreversible harm” to the stock.