After years of hard work, a monumental vote next week could finally put fish and fishermen on a path toward a brighter future.
Cape Cod is currently home to an innovative fishing system that allows groups of fishermen to manage their annual catch cooperatively as part of a "Sector." On Wednesday, the governing body for New England’s fisheries will weigh whether to expand that system to a majority of the region’s fleet fishing for cod, haddock, flounder and other groundfish stocks, in recognition of the tremendous success of the Cape Cod-based Georges Bank sectors.
The decision of the New England Fisheries Management Council has the potential to turn around the region’s failing fisheries, increasing profits for fishermen and local fishing communities, and rebuilding New England’s once abundant groundfish stocks. But there’s also a significant risk that the success of the new system could be undermined if the council doesn’t approve a fair and equitable system that holds all fishermen accountable for their catch.