February 25, 2013 — For centuries the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank have supported bountiful stocks of cod, haddock and flounder, attracting fishermen from all over the world. Unfortunately today, these fish stocks are just a remnant of what they were only a few decades ago.
In fact, two of the most sought after stocks, Gulf of Maine cod and Georges Bank cod, are at just 20 percent and 7 percent, respectively, of sustainable levels — that is levels that would allow those fish stocks to reproduce and keep pace with the number of fish being removed by fishing. The number of young Gulf of Maine cod being born is the lowest it's been since the 1980s, and cod on Georges Bank aren't growing as fast or as big as they used to, which means they will produce fewer eggs in the future. At last week's New England Fisheries Management Council meeting, I heard more than once from fishermen and scientists alike that once-abundant fish in the waters off New England "just aren't there."
The big question is: Why has this happened? Over the years, quotas have been gradually reduced, but still the fish aren't coming back as expected. It isn't simply a case of overfishing. There are environmental forces at play such as predation from recovered populations of dogfish and seals, changes in ocean water temperature and increases in ocean acidity. So, while it may not be totally on the fishermen's shoulders, it will be the fishermen who will have to pay the price.
The day of reckoning is here.
The New England Fishery Management Council, a group of fishermen, state managers and environmentalists who develop management measures for all federally managed fish stocks, took a tough vote a couple of weeks ago. They recommended very low catch limits for several key groundfish stocks for the next three years.
The cuts are going to hurt. But taking "no action" would have hurt more. The vote is the only chance to rebuild the fishery and put it on a path toward sustainability and profitability. And, it is possible to rebuild fisheries. Just look at the successful Atlantic sea scallop fishery. Today, the port of New Bedford, Mass., ranks number one in the country due to revenues generated from scallops.
Read the full story at Seacoast Online