Can the Free Trade Agreement Wipe You Out?

COMMENTARY | The “Buy American” movement is finally making some headway this holiday season, but those of us who were affected by NAFTA and GATT long ago wonder if it’s coming too late.

Nobody connected the free world trade agreements made back in the mid 1990s (the North American Free Trade Agreement and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) to the Gulf Coast net fishing ban back then. I must admit, even as a news reporter, I didn’t either. But learning what happened then could just save your business now.

My late husband, a third-generation commercial fisherman from Ruskin, Florida, knew exactly what was about to happen. In fact, he and his cohorts spent three days and nights on the lawn of the Governor’s mansion in Tallahassee protesting the net ban that eventually appeared on the ballot as a protection of helpless sea creatures caught in commercial nets by mistake.

Television commercials showing sea turtles and manatees and other helpless gentle giants writhing in monofilament gill nets abounded prior to amendment proposing that netting be banned within three miles of Florida’s Gulf Coast shores. My late husband, however, recognized the boat in one of the commercials. In fact, he knew the marine scientists who had been deliberately netting the sea animals to tag them so they could follow their movement along the Gulf Stream and learn top predict their spawning habits.

After many such misleading commercials, the Florida net ban appeared on the ballot as a public referendum and those promoting it explained that there were programs to buy families out or help them alter their gear. But in truth, what happened was that the boats and nets used by thousands of fishing families could not be used as far as three miles from shore (the new legal limit) and the money to buy out businesses only paid for one boat and net: not all the different types held for different fish in different seasons. Immediately, the net ban hurt fishing, fishing families and all those who enjoy eating healthy fresh fish..

Government officials had listened to the voices of the tourism industry — which of course, hated the boats and nets that neared the shore. Now we are all paying the price. Try finding American fish in your store. Go ahead, try!

Unless you’re fortunate enough to live near a wharf or a fresh fish market or know somebody who’s good with a rod and reel, you’re likely to find that all the seafood you eat comes from Japan, Taiwan, Korea or Vietnam.

Since then I’ve followed dozens of news stories where one type of business after another has been literally put out. These include stories of chain stores coming into communities underselling “one product” mom-and-pops that have existed for years.

Does the “Buy American” movement have meaning for you yet? If it doesn’t, I’d suggest you check out the unofficial version of the Florida net ban. A group of relatively uneducated men in oilers and rubber boots protesting on the Governor’s lawn knew more about fish in the months preceding the vote than the politicians did. Knowing their story could be of help to many right now, as they head to cash registers to purchase last-minute holiday gifts or make plans to make special purchases in the new year.


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