Fishing for scallops 45 miles east of Atlantic City in January was brutally cold, but Sea Quest Capt. Jim Clarke had more on his mind than the weather.
Clarke’s problem is a new management plan that would slash catches by about 25 percent in the next fishing season, which begins March 1 and runs through February 2011.
From North Carolina to Maine, commercial fishermen have been protesting the proposed cutback, banding together under a group called the Fisheries Survival Fund. The group, which represents scallop fishermen, has been fighting the proposed cut since November. Just this week, the group achieved a measure of success when the New England Fishery Management Council agreed to revisit the issue.
Scallops were the top species landed in New Jersey in 2008 with 13.3 million pounds harvested, worth $91.5 million.
Peter Hughes, operations manager at Atlantic Capes Fisheries in Lower Township, sits on the council’s Scallop Advisory Panel and will push for higher catches.
Hughes said a 25 percent cut would lead to idling one quarter of the work force. He said industries that supply the scallop fleet, such as fuel dealers and marine equipment companies, will face similar cuts.
“It just has this huge ripple effect through the industry,” said Hughes, adding: “Why are we laying off people when we’re trying to stimulate the economy?”