GLOUCESTER, Mass. — August 5, 2012 — The state's congressional delegation is asking the federal government to declare a disaster in the New England fishing industry, including Sen. John Kerry. Fishermen have been told the amount of ground fish they take would be cut dramatically next year because of dwindling stocks. Some estimate 80,000 jobs would be lost.
"This has been a disaster for a while, if you look at the harbor behind us, we lost about 25 percent of our fishing permits, our active fishing permits, since the beginning of the new regulations a couple of years ago," said Sen. Bruce Tarr. "To suggest there will be a 70 percent reduction in sole or cod will merely accelerate the extinction of the commercial fishing industry as we know it."
Gloucester's fleet has been hit hard in recent years. BIll Brown says the larger boats are killing the smaller ones. But he says that could be the goal of federal regulators.
"Maybe it's part of a grand plan that they just want, a number of big boats easily to control, but it sure leaving the rest of us out in the cold," Brown said.
Read the full story from NECN.
Read the Congressional letter to the Department of Commerce here.