September 27, 2012 — Overruling his bureaucracy, NOAA regional administrator John Bullard on Wednesday announced a decision to shift to February and March a shutdown of the inshore gillnet fishery that was aimed at reducing harbor porpoise losses in bycatch.
The shutdown was to start Oct. 1 and last through November.
Immediate losses to three dozen vessels working out of ports from New Hampshire to along the Massachusetts Bay were projected to be $2.6 million, half that from the revenues of Gloucester-based boats, according to an economic analysis presented at the end of July by the Northeast Seafood Coalition, the region’s largest industry organization.
The move in closure dates to next year should ease the economic impact on a fleet at the center of a systemic fisheries failure, declared days ago by the Commerce Department, by allowing gillnetters access to pollock. Pollock typically come through the inshore waters of Massachusetts Bay, including Stellwagen Bank and the Gulf of Maine, in the autumn, said Richard Burgess, president of the fishing cooperative Sector III, a group of 36 Gloucester-based gillnetters.
“This is going to allow us to catch a larger proportion of our pollock quota,” said Burgess. “(Bullard) listened to the fishermen who know there are more harbor porpoises around in February and March than October and November.”
Bullard reversed his own detailed, written position of Sept. 6, which was based on the research and recommendation of the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Team. Theteam includes government scientists, fishermen, academics and environmental organizations.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Times