The European Union is pondering fishing quotas for 2015 in an attempt to balance the needs of the continent’s fishing industry with environmentalist demands. According to Phys.org, there is a proposal being floated to reduce quotas for forty types of fish that can be caught in the Atlantic and North Sea. Spain, whose fish industry grew by four percent while the country’s economy stagnated, was disappointed by the news. Greenpeace, on the other hand, fears the EU will side with the fishing industry. The group alleges fish in the North Sea maybe running in short supply and the body of water has been over fished for years.

When it comes to news stories about the fishing industry and the conflicts they have with environmentalists, I am reminded of Billy Joel’s 1990 The Downeaster Alexa. Joel dedicated it to the Long Island Baymen in which Joel used the song to highlight the Baymen’s plight. The song is sung in first person where the fictional character talks about the hard times he has trying to make a living. The fisherman talks about the cost of living going up due to economic expansion, the lack of fishing and even environmental rules made it even more difficult for them to make a living.

Unlike small fishing operations, large commercial fishing companies can withstand the brunt of regulations like quotas. However, that does not mean commercial fishermen do not face hard times much less harassment from green groups or lose money or even their jobs resulting from the onerous requirements of environmental rules. None the less, environmentalist groups like Greenpeace oppose fishing since it is one other means humans use to sustain and even enjoy life.