GLOUCESTER, Mass. — September 23, 2012 — Gloucester fisherman Paul Vitale’s job is on the line. New England legislators are lobbying for $100 million to save next year’s groundfish fishery season in the wake of a disaster declaration, but that isn’t easing Vitale’s uncertainty about his industry’s future.
“There’s three households earning money off of my shoulders,” said Vitale, 40, captain of the 50-foot “Angela + Rose” and a father of three. “We never know day to day what’s happening.”
Despite local fishermen adhering to catch limits, groundfish stocks such as Georges Bank cod and yellowtail flounder and Gulf of Maine cod remain depleted. This could lead to the annual catch limit being cut by as much as 72 percent in May, officials said.
Gloucester, a one-time fishing mecca, is now gasping for air, as its landings in value last year — $61 million for 77 million pounds — fell by six times compared to New Bedford’s, putting the North Shore coastal community as the 19th-ranked U.S. port based on volume.
Gloucester Mayor Carolyn A. Kirk said only about 75 boats remain in the fleet, and that her city’s needs alone could total upward of $25 million.
“Fishermen are doing their part so they put a business plan together, take out a financial obligation to run their business, and 10 months later literally the rug gets pulled out from under them,” she said. “They are doing everything the government’s told them to do in terms of complying with regulations.”
Read the full article at the Boston Herald