Massive cuts in days at sea are coming!

DOES the United States want a fishing industry? US government management of east coast fisheries has left fishermen asking this question.One thing that unites the diverse range of gear types – catching species from groundfish, squid and menhaden to scallops – is a total lack of faith in government stock research and a sense they arebeing put out of business as rule piles on top of rule.This viewpoint is particularly acute in the multi-species groundfish fishery off New England.Days at sea have been steadily reduced over the last few years and more closed areas have been put in, along with increasingly prohibitive mesh and gear limitations.The industry has been told that it is not reaching the targets on stock levels, and further reductions to already limited days at sea are looming, reports Tom Seaman.

GROUNDFISH catchers in New England are facing crippling cuts of up to 70% to their days at sea following a government scientific assessment that stock recovery targets are not being met.

FNI is told that the cuts are likely to be between 18 and 70%. For the majority of the fleet, which has been cut down to 48 days over years of regulation, even the lowest figure of 18% would make it next-to-impossible to run a business.

Jim Odlin of Atlantic Trawlers, a company that runs three vessels from Portland, Maine, and two from New Bedford, Massachusetts, says both the best and worst case scenarios will have a devastating impact on the industry.

“It

Fisheries

Massive cuts in days at sea are coming!