Newport, R.I. — The Atlantic sea scallop resource is one of the most valuable commercial fisheries in the United States.
But limits on landings, number of fishing days and access to certain fishing grounds keep the scallop fishing vessels tied to docks for much of the year.
Two measures recently under consideration by the New England Fisheries Management Council were designed to address “excess harvesting capacity,” as regulators call the situation.
The proposed measures – “permit stacking” and “permit leasing” – were intended to provide some operational flexibility for the industry. Instead, they ended up dividing fishermen into opposing camps.
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