Lyle Solla-Yates, Bacon’s Rebellion’s summer intern, has filed the following report:

A vital piece of Virginia’s heritage — the lively commercial fishing and boating community — is threatened by coastal development, environmental stress and foreign imports. Last week, representatives of government, nonprofit, and industry representatives met in Norfolk to discuss threats to working waterways across the nation and how to respond.

Commercial and recreational boating has suffered a series of setbacks in the last century. Environmental problems from runoff pollution, destruction of wetlands, and over fishing have greatly reduced potential catches in the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, imports of fish from foreign countries that subsidize their fishing fleets have driven seafood prices down. High end condominiums and other development have crowded out active waterfronts in favor of private coastal access for those who can afford it.

The net result has been lost jobs, greater dependence upon foreigners for our food supply, an unsustainable trade imbalance, and a loss of cultural and historic heritage.

Government and civic leaders discussed how to reinvigorate waterfronts in Virginia and across the country. High property taxes and burdensome environmental regulations were a consistent target, creating calls for tax and regulatory reform. Some called for moratoria on coastal development. Communities could use the time to update master plans emphasizing preservation of working waterfronts. Seafood festivals and boating tours were suggested as effective ways to get people out enjoying the waterfront, having a good time and learning the issues threatening our waterways.

The Working Waterways & Waterfronts 2007 Symposium website can be found here: http://www.wateraccess2007.com. Information for this article is drawn from their final report, which I assisted in collecting.