VOA慢速英语2015 捕捞份额旨在发展可持续渔业

'Catch Shares' Aim for Sustainable Fishing 捕捞份额旨在发展可持续渔业

More than 25 percent of the world's fisheries are overfished, according to the United Nations. Many communities worldwide depend on the ocean for their livelihoods¹. Now, they are struggling to manage resources. A growing number are adopting programs called "catch shares." These programs try to make fishing more, sustainable but critics say they put many fishermen out of business.

The sun is setting fast in Chesapeake Beach, Virginia. Rachel Dean is navigating² her family’s boat ‘Roughwater’ into the port there.

"The deck light."

She and her family make a living by fishing. There are rules that all fishermen must follow.  The old rules set by regional fishery officials’ decided³ how many striped bass⁴ fish could be caught in the Chesapeake Bay each year. Rachel Dean explains.

"It was a fishing derby and it was, Green light, go.' Catch all you can and hope that you get your share of the pie."

This would lead fishermen competing to catch fish as quickly as possible. It also led to overfishing, unsafe and destructive fishing, and other problems.

But last year, officials launched a "catch shares" system for striped bass in the Chesapeake. Under the new system, each fisherman gets a set amount of fish to catch.

Kelly Denit oversees⁵ fisheries at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric⁶ Administration, or NOAA.

"That individual has the freedom to fish that amount whenever they choose. So you are no longer racing⁷ to get out and catch fish before the total amount has been caught."

But there are winners and losers in the new program. Larry Powley is a fisherman.

"There's some boys that had fished only two years. They got more quota⁸ than I did. I've been doing this job for 40 years."

Larry Powley was able to buy enough shares from other fishermen to stay in the striped bass business.

"But some of the young guys, the boys couldn't afford to buy up quota, then they're gonna get left behind."

Rachel Dean says her family was concerned at first, too.

"We didn't really get what we had hoped for. Obviously, everybody wants more when something's divided like that. That was our first fear. But we also knew there were going to be benefits with it."

But, Rachel Dean says she likes the program. Now, she is able to wait out bad weather and mechanical problems with her boats, and wait to sell her catches when prices are high.

And NOAA likes it because catch shares prevent overfishing and raise incomes.

"If you look across the 16 programs that we now have, I think you can see pretty clearly that there have been successes."

Catch shares don't work everywhere, but officials here say the programs are the best way to help fish, and the fishing industry.

Words in This Story

sustainable - adj. able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed

quota - n. a specific amount or number that is expected to be achieved

1 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

2 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

5 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

6 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

7 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

8 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。