> But why do you only blame the the financial industry, and not the fisherman?

Because the fisherman has no alternative. If loans are given too freely then taking the loan becomes necessary to compete in the market against competitors who do.

I suspect that the financiers will make that very same argument.

Except that the fisherman weren't the ones lobbying for regulations that allow/encourage the finance industry to do that.

If you put the name of a housecat on a loan application, and someone buys a boat in the cat's name, it's kind of hard to blame the cat.