The sector system is brand new and needs improvement. Some of the complaints, such as allocations within the sectors, can be fixed by the sectors. Two issues are troubling. The first is the allocation of quota within groundfish sectors. The second is the apparent inability of the sectors to capture the benefits of high annual catch limits for abundant stocks like Georges Bank haddock — so called "underfishing."
Neither the New England Fishery Management Council nor the National Marine Fisheries Service made allocations of fish to individual fishermen. Allocations were made to sector organizations based on the catch history of the permits held by each member. Responsibility for allocating quota to individuals, or figuring out some other way to fish the quota, was given to the sector organizations.
Presumably, sector members had a vote on how to divide up the sector allocation. If there is widespread dissatisfaction, fishermen have the power to change that.
Critics rightfully point to underfishing of abundant stocks of Georges Bank haddock and Gulf of Maine redfish. Because of these large stocks, the amount of fish available to the groundfish fleet in 2010 is more than 2½ times that caught by the fleet in 2009.
Sectors should be able to use their aggregate quota and cooperative structure to catch more of the abundant stocks while avoiding depleted stocks. The scallop fleet faced the same problem until the School for Marine Science and Technology and cooperating fishermen developed a program that lets the fleet catch additional millions of dollars' worth of scallops while staying within their yellowtail allocation. That example should be used by the groundfish fleet.
Read the complete opinion piece from The South Coast Today.