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See Capt. Tom's post #41 for more current, accurate information

A crappy NOAA example : Imagine yourself in a baseball game where your entire wealth is invested ;
1) if you win you keep your investment and make a profit and can go on again ;
2) if you lose you go bankrupt.
Then during the top of the fourth inning, the umpire (NOAA) changes the rules, offering advantage to the other team and restricting your team .

That is what is happening to American Fishery - the rules change with no notice, no rhyme or reason .. just .. because they can ! Several years ago, NOAA closed all SouthEast bottom fishery for four months (Virginia to Florida).
NOAA did no study to determine if any fishery was in decline or 'at risk';
There was no study before the fishery was closed; there was no study after the closure.
They closed it because they could !, as shown in Senate Committee Congressional minutes. The Florida Senator was livid , NOAA was flumixed as this was the first time their feet was held to the fire.
Lubchenco announced her retirement soon therefter, but appointed her own successor,.. and the abuse continues.

"Then during the top of the fourth inning, the umpire (NOAA) changes the rules, offering advantage to the other team and restricting your team ."

Because the other team was politically influential and pushed for changing the rules. That's the rhyme and reason. That's where it starts. Politicians and their appointees do the bidding of their mo$t favored con$tituent$ against lesser constituents. Example: many little lumber mills have been shut down or prevented from starting over several decades in local county meetings by associates of big lumber mills.

Another example: new EPA rules against wood heater manufacturers perpetrated with fake lawsuits by state and local governments and businesses valued by both political parties. In five years, Step 2 of the rule will eliminate manufacturing and sales of even the currently most costly wood heaters of all kinds (including pellet stoves and masonry heaters).

There are also builders' rackets against residential owner builds, thus planning, building and other local regulations.

On top of that, consider the monstrous amounts of federal pork shoveled to some of the most remote and sparsely populated of counties (with majorities from either political party) through states.