NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — September 25, 2012 — A change of heart by former New Bedford mayor John Bullard, recently appointed as the NOAA Fisheries regional administrator, will allow gillnet fishermen in the Gulf of Maine to continue fishing through October and November.
A closure intended to protect harbor porpoises who may become entangled in the stationary nets was scheduled to take effect for two months on Oct. 1 but has now been delayed until Feb. 1. Bullard made the announcement today.
He had initially denied a request from fishermen to change the dates. But after a recent meeting with industry groups, he reversed his decision after gaining assurances that fishermen would increase both the number of fishery observers on trips and the amount of "pinger" devices used to warn porpoises of the net's presence.
The ruling will have little impact on New Bedford fishermen but was welcomed on the waterfront. Seafood consultant Jim Kendall said it showed Bullard's willingness to work with the industry after years of government inflexibility.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times