The New England Fishery Management Council yesterday took a semi-blind leap into the future by agreeing to convert the region’s fishery from the effort-control regulatory system that’s been in place for more than 20 years, to one based on fishermen’s shares of the catch.
In doing so, the council satisfied the urgings of the Obama administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco, with a push from deep-pocketed environmental groups that have lobbied and advertised heavily to prod the council toward the catch-share format.
The transition, to be implemented in 11 months, will only be partial, however.