PORTLAND, Maine — November 14, 2014 — New restrictions on commercial cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine will likely make local cod more expensive for New England consumers, but markets and fish-and-chip shops are unlikely to run low because of abundant foreign sources.
Supply from countries such as Iceland and Norway, as well as Alaska, is steady enough that a lack of Gulf of Maine cod is unlikely to affect prices overall, fishermen and dealers said. But customers who prefer locally caught fish will probably soon have to pay more at markets and restaurants as the federal government tries to restore the fishery from an all-time low.
The availability of cheaper foreign cod will make it imperative for the New England fishery to stress that freshly caught Maine cod is worth the few extra dollars a pound, said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association.
"We should really be trying to create a market that encourages people to pay top dollar to eat those fish," Martens said. "The consumer who is looking for local seafood is going to be more constrained in terms of what's on the table."
Read the full story from The Associated Press at the New Bedford Standard-Times