Groundfishing, the catching of fish that live near the ocean bottom, was the first colonial industry in America.
But decades of overfishing and mismanagement have led to severe declines in groundfish stocks (such as cod, pollock, flounder, halibut), ever tightening regulations, and the loss of traditional fishing communities.
The time has come to adopt a new management approach that prevents overfishing and protects our historic groundfish industry. By establishing community-based fishing cooperatives, called "sectors", fishermen are given the opportunity to manage their own share of an annual catch limit.