I welcome the opportunity to clarify an important issue in a recent article regarding the New England Fishery Management Council’s recent decision to move the region’s groundfish fishery to a system based on quotas and sectors (“Fishing Rules Could Change,” July 2, 2009).
Presently, the only two sectors in existence (the Georges Bank cod hook and fixed-gear sectors) must operate under a cap on the amount of Georges Bank codfish quota they can catch. That is, each sector may only harvest up to 20 percent of the total amount of Georges Bank codfish available to all fishermen in New England. In 2003, the council agreed upon this cap to, among other reasons, ensure that one sector didn’t acquire excessive control over the fishery.
Unfortunately, the most recent council action (Amendment 16) has undone this safeguard by “eliminate(ing) the 20 percent cap on (TAC) shares that was established in Amendment 13." In 2010, up to 19 sectors, representing over half of the active groundfish fleet in New England, will have no limit on the amount of quota they can purchase. In effect, the council has now approved a system that invites the very consequence that Frank Mirarchi cited in the article, where one outside interest with deep pockets could acquire control over an inordinate amount of the fishery.