NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — September 26, 2012 — New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell has appealed directly to the New England Fishery Management Council for their help to keep New Bedford fishermen on the water.
Mitchell personally presented a letter at a fishery council meeting in Plymouth this morning as council members begin deliberations on setting the catch limits for the next fishing year, which begins on May 1. With key stocks in decline, cuts of 50 to 70 percent are projected for some species, such as cod and yellowtail flounder.
“I wanted to bring them back to the inescapable fact that they're dealing with people's livelihoods,” Mitchell said. “I tried to impress on them that the decisions they make are permanent ones for fishing families and the communities they live in.”
Mitchell said the council should reconsider cutting the catch so drastically while doubts remain about the science used to assess fish stocks. The assessment surveys are conducted using the wrong types of vessels and gear, the mayor said.
The U.S. Department of Commerce declared a national fishery disaster in the New England groundfishery two weeks ago, a major step toward obtaining economic assistance for the region's struggling groundfishermen. But when people leave the fishing industry they tend not to come back, the mayor said.
“Farmers can continue to farm after a disaster but if the fisheries are shut down they won't come back,” Mitchell said.
The barriers to re-entry are too great, he said, and the U.S. already imports 91 percent of the seafood consumed in this country.
In the letter, Mitchell urged the council to consider “additional, complementary policy responses” to forestall the projected cuts. Asked to be more specific, the mayor said he favored “the status quo” of maintaining the catch limits at their existing levels.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times