Representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came to New Bedford on Thursday for the first in a series of regional meetings intended to gather feedback from commercial fishermen grappling with complex new management regulations.
The fishermen largely stayed away.
Seafood consultant Jim Kendall said he was not surprised so few fishermen attended.
"They're frustrated; they've had enough," he said. "They say it doesn't make any difference if they come or not."
Only 32 percent of New Bedford boats in the groundfish fleet are now fishing, Kendall said.
The fishermen who did attend gave fisheries managers plenty to think about.
Frank Mirarchi, who runs a 55-foot dragger out of Scituate, expressed fear that once federal monies subsidizing the costs associated with managing sectors are withdrawn, the burden on fishermen would become unsustainable.
"These are large subsidies and there's no guarantee they will be renewed. In my sector, we're already paying a fee of 8 cents per pound on the fish we land as our share. There's not enough coming out of the hatch to support the overhead associated with sectors if the subsidy goes."
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