Peter Kaizer is captain of F/V Althea K out of Nantucket, and a member of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association.
One thing that none of us – fishermen or charter clients – can adapt to is the overfishing and depletion of the herring stock. Atlantic herring has been the main forage fish for nearly all species, especially the tuna and striped bass I rely on. All is not well with herring populations, and the time to take precautionary action is long overdue. Independent regional fishery scientists, who are legally charged with advising the government, have spoken in one voice that we need to back off of the herring stock immediately.
At its meeting, the council must adopt the quota reductions as proposed by the scientists in order to ensure healthy and sustainable herring populations. The council must also prioritize completion of a comprehensive catch-monitoring program for the herring fishery, so we can get rid of this uncertainty.