May 13, 2013 — The New England fishing industry is preparing to deal with dramatic new limits on how many fish can be caught.
April and May are typically quiet along the New Hampshire coast, with fishing grounds routinely closed to help groundfish spawn. But there isn't much enthusiasm for the coming season.
Fisherman David Goethel said he had one of about 100 commercial groundfishing vessels in 2000. By last year, the number had dropped to 22. This year, 14 remain.
"Things are looking extremely grim," Goethel said.
Catch limits have been continually increasing in an effort to conserve stocks. After emotional hearings over the winter, the New England Fishery Management Council announced near 70 percent reductions in catches over last year's levels.
"Last year, I had about 45,000 pounds of cod to catch," Goethel said. "This year, I have less than 10,000. On yellowtail flounder last year, I had almost 8,000. This year, I've got a little over 3,000. And it's like that on every single species."
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