Well put - this right here is most of how we get to limited access fisheries:
"However, businessman in most any industry would happily vote to close their line of work to new entrants if the government gave them the opportunity to do so."
It just happens in most industries there is no such option, otherwise they'd all push for it. In fisheries, when things get bad, everyone who thinks they have tenure starts looking to the government to kick everyone else out or at least restrict newcomers..
Sometimes it is warranted, a variety of actual environmental reasons related to too many boats involved. Lobster is definitely somewhat this way but I don't agree with selling/transferring permits, apprenticeship, that sorta stuff. I think Maine does restrict the sale and transfer of permits, may be closer to correct than the feds or some other states.
We went through this for years, arguing over limited access groundfish charter/headboat permits. Had 0 environmental value if it went limited access, the numbers of boats involved was even declining naturally, was all about a handfull of older charter captains pushing for it - frustrated the same $$ wasn't there that used to be (while some newcomers somehow were making enough $$ to spring up new such businesses). Luckily, rather recently, the industry came to their senses and poo poo'd it, government ditched any further action.
