April 16, 2018 — People who love fresh Northwest seafood and the sea should take note of what happened recently in a hotel conference room by Portland’s airport.
There, the Pacific Fishery Management Council approved a plan to protect more coral, sponges, reefs and other sensitive animals and formations from the nets of bottom trawlers who work off the West Coast.
The measure also offers something for fishermen: a reopening of some prime fishing areas that had been off-limits. The end result is intended to be greater marine conservation protection and more fresh fish flowing into regional markets.
Much of the plan was hashed out through years of collaboration between commercial fishermen and marine environmental groups involving marathon hours of meetings in port communities to find common ground.
“This was one of the best things that I’ve done: people coming together with different mindsets and trying to … see about this grand bargain that would work for everyone,” said Brad Pettinger, who for decades has owned a fishing boat and serves as executive director of the Oregon Trawl Commission.
Read the full story at the Seattle Times