February 1, 2012 — Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) said the cuts don’t go far enough and called for the closure of the cod fishery to avoid a commercial collapse that could take decades to reverse.
CLF issued the following statement from Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel:
“In recommending the least aggressive cut to cod quota allowable under the law, the New England Fisheries Management Council continued a long and irresponsible track record of putting short-term economic interests over the long-term health of New England’s cod fishery,” said Peter Shelley, senior counsel, Conservation Law Foundation. “The science is clear. The models are showing cod stocks at the lowest levels in history and declining. And if anyone doubts the science, they only need to look at how much cod is being caught this year. The fish just aren’t there.”
Shelley continued, “It’s exactly these kinds of short-sighted decisions that have allowed cod to be overfished for decades and contributed to this biological disaster. It is unconscionable that we should continue to take such risks in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence and the stark example of our neighbors to the North. Rather than arguing over the scraps left after decades of mismanagement, we should be shutting the cod fishery down and protecting whatever cod are left. The Council needs to have the courage to take the necessary, if painful, steps to rebuild this iconic fishery for the future. An entire generation of groundfishermen is at risk because of the Council’s limited response.”
Read the full story at Cape Cod Today