Fishermen have fished under the rules without exceeding quotas for the past eight years, since the rebuilding plan was established. The problem with Gulf of Maine cod abundance has nothing to do with fishermen's compliance with rules or quotas. It has everything to do with the science. The fishermen are keeping their end of the deal.
We need better science. The law says that the best science has to be used. Today's best science is not good enough. We need better science. Two years ago, I stood here today and proclaimed what the fishermen of Gloucester told me — "We can walk on cod!" — there is so much of it. Today, the scientists say the cod has vanished.
We need flexibility in the rebuilding schedule. The 10-year rebuilding goal of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is arbitrary and without any basis in science.
The act as currently implemented is in conflict with the laws of nature and cannot lead to sustainability. Scientists say that the 10-year rebuilding goal in the law forces them to predict abundance years in advance and they are unable to do that — it's like asking the scientists at the National Weather Service to predict how many hurricanes we will have 10 years from now and what their impact will be! We need flexibility in Magnuson.
So that is our message for Congress: better science and more flexibility.
Read the opinion piece at The Gloucester Times.