November 21, 2016 — It didn’t take long for the Gloucester Fisheries Commission to oppose the proposals being developed at the New England Fishery Management Council that would introduce limited access to the historically open-access whiting fishery.
A mere two days after the NEFMC received its first look at the proposals being generated by its whiting advisory panel and whiting committee, Gloucester commission members raised concerns over the impact the proposals could have on the city’s whiting fleet — particularly the small boats.
“We should not allow any other species to go under limited access,” said commission member Angela Sanfilippo, also the president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. “This is a healthy stock and I am totally against limited access.”
Sanfilippo’s views were echoed by member Joe Orlando and Chairman Mark Ring.
The three proposals to potentially limit access to the fishery are contained in Amendment 22 currently being developed by the council. The council’s whiting committee hopes to furnish a more finished product at the council’s next meeting in late January.
The city fisheries commission, however, wasn’t waiting around for the council staff’s final analysis. It voted 6-0 to oppose any attempts to limit access to Ipswich Bay for the local whiting fleet.
The three proposals, being developed by the NEFMC’s whiting advisory panel and whiting committee, essentially offer potential eligibility parameters for future access into the fishery.