Fishery Advocates See Disaster in Groundfish Cuts
by Laurie Schreiber
Many generations of fishing families have brought fish into New England fishing ports over the centuries. Above right three Giacalone brothers handle fish in Gloucester. Their father Vito Giacalone has long been active in fisheries management issues and is a founding member of the Northeast Seafood Coalition. If disaster relief reaches fishermen, and is on time, many believe it will not be a solution to the ongoing larger problems in management and the resource. © Photo by Sam Murfitt.
NEWBURYPORT, Mass. – At a public meeting, on Aug. 24, of the New England Fishery Management Council’s (NEFMC) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), New Bedford Mayor Jonathan Mitchell presented a letter he and Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk jointly authored asking the SSC to recommend to the NEFMC that no changes be made to current annual catch limits (ACL) in the groundfishery, until there is confidence in the accuracy of the stock assessments.
New Bedford is the nation’s most profitable fishing port, Gloucester is the nation’s oldest.
