The Northeast Fisheries Summit  was held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts on Monday, March 8, 2010. The meeting was co-sponsored by the City of New Bedford, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute. The Summit was intended to restore a foundation of trust between NOAA and the fishing community through dialogue focused on the shared objectives of sustainable fish stocks and the economic viability of fishing communities. The principles of equity, fairness, conservation, preservation of jobs and income, minimization of waste, and flexibility in management can only be realized through a collaborative approach to management. The Summit was held to begin building a more collaborative and constructive relationship between government, industry, and political interests.

The Summit was structured as follows. At 9:00 a.m. the Mayor of New Bedford, Scott Lang, opened the meeting welcoming all of the participants and thanking the co-sponsors and venue. Several elected and appointed officials also addressed the group. After introductions, three panel discussions were held. The meeting concluded at 5:30 p.m. John Bullard moderated the meeting. Dr. Brian Rothschild, Montgomery Charter Professor of Marine Science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, chaired the meeting.
Three issues were selected for discussion: (1) catch shares and sectors, (2) scallops and scallop by-catch, and (3) amending the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Panels of five to seven people were chosen to discuss each topic. Panels were populated with representatives from government agencies, environmental groups, academic institutions, and fishery stakeholders. Each panel member was given ten minutes to speak on the designated topic. After each panel completed, audience members were given the opportunity to speak. Panel members and audience participants were encouraged to discuss the issues, along with potential solutions.

While a wide variety of views were expressed, the Summit resulted in the following consensuses:

(1) It appears that sectors, in general, will not be economically viable. To make the sectors feasible additional quota would need to be allocated.

(2) One technique would be to place a moratorium, or freeze, on the implementation of sector-based management (Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan);

(3) Increase flexibility of the MSA, specifically regarding rebuilding periods;

(4) Clarification of the definition of / distinction between catch shares, Limited Access
Privilege Programs (LAPPs), and sectors;

(5) Increased support for cooperative research programs; and

(6) Development of a buyback program to precede the implementation of sector-based management. This report summarizes the findings and discussions of the Summit.

Read the Report of the Northeast Fisheries Summit [pdf]