Chapter 4 of the NPS report discusses the balance between natural resource management of Jamaica Bay and the demands of an urban population. The text leads one to infer that there is some kind of Jamaica Bay “way of life” and that some individuals have shaped their identity around the use of the Bay’s resources. Indeed, local communities exist that have made wide use of the Bay and are now working as protectors of the Bay against pollution and habitat decay. Some individuals have even based their livelihood on Jamaica Bay’s waters and shores. The chapter continues with several anecdotes to illustrate how the Jamaica Bay has been absolutely vital to the welfare and livelihoods of several individuals from the mid-1800s to the present day.
The report concedes that because of environmental regulations and demographic change, there are few people making their livelihood directly from the Bay. In fact, a 1996 New York Times article found just 5 commercial fishermen. A particular individual, Larry Seeman Jr., anticipates that soon the way of life on the water will be lost. His knowledge of the ecology in the Jamaica Bay makes him quiet the citizen scientist, and his love for fishing, he feels, has improved his way of life above those of his friends who go to work hating their jobs. He hopes that he could establish a relationship with the Park to allow him to fish without persecution, and perhaps even to establish a permit system for commercial fishermen.
The trend seems to flow more toward recreational use of the Bay, such as kayaking, paddle boarding, and wind-surfing. In addition, several organizations have moved to protect the Bay against pollution and harm created by industrial or commercial interests. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the ‘people of the Bay’ are not a vanishing culture, but a different one.
As a frequent visitor to NYC’s parks, I have never considered the Jamaica Bay. Instead, I have spent much too much time in Prospect Park and Fort Greene Park, and occasionally Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and Corona Park. I also frequent the city’s waterfronts, especially the Bath Beach boardwalk, the Promenade, and Brighton Beach. It amazes me that so much effort has been put into researching the various ways that NYC residents interact with Jamaica Bay, taking into account how little publicity it gets in comparison to the other parks and waterfronts. Perhaps increased interest in the Bay will help further the mission of various organizations to prevent danger to the environment and increase the benefit that residents get from the Bay.
