March 21, 2013 — With the healthy restoration of swordfish along the eastern seaboard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries service said it is now considering an open-access permit that could return swordfishing to Island waters by opening access to all fishermen, and small-boat fishermen in particular.
The National Marine Fisheries Service will host a public hearing in Gloucester seeking comment on the proposed permit on Thursday, March 28. If adopted, rod and reel fishermen and harpoon fishermen would be able to pursue swordfish and sell what they catch.
While the details of the permit are yet to be determined and much of the work is yet to be done, the permit could be adopted as early as the end of this summer.
The hearing will be held at the NOAA Fisheries Service, at 55 Great Republic Drive, and will start at 5:30 p.m. Similar hearings have already been held in St. Petersburg, Fla. and Silver Spring, Md. Another hearing will be held April 10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. NOAA is expected to accept comments on the proposal through April 23. “This is a mini-step in the right direction. We should have more access,” said Menemsha fishermen Gregory Mayhew, 67, one of the last Island local fishermen known to have harpooned swordfish. Mr. Mayhew let his permit lapse several years, and has since found himself unable to afford another permit under the present regulatory system, even reaching out to former Sen. Scott Brown for help.
Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette