April 26, 2012 – The New England Fishery Management Council Wednesday grappled with pending implementation of a NOAA decision to give Atlantic sturgeon the extreme protection of the Endangered Species Act all along the Atlantic coast.
Although there is not even a rough outline of the protective action, the development is destined to come at a heavy price paid by commercial fishermen, especially gillnetters, whose gear can snare the ancient giant that swims along the inshore waters and breeds in rivers.
Ron Smolowitz of the Fishery Survival Fund predicted an impact on commercial fishing that rivals the listing the "spotted owl" had on logging in the Pacific Northwest, making "protected habitat" of millions of acres.
NOAA estimates the survival rate of sturgeon hauled up in fishermen's bycatch — collateral fish pulled up when fishermen are targeting other species — is remarkably high, at roughly 80 percent from gillnets, 95 percent for sturgeon hauled up in trawl nets.
"I've probably caught two sturgeon in 35 years," said Richard Burgess, who owns and operates multiple gillnet boats based in Gloucester. "This year alone, our 36 boats (in the Gloucester gillnet sector) have released four to five alive."
Burgess said the last time he caught one was 2001.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Times.