CHATHAM, Mass. – March 13, 2010 – The Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector released a statement regarding the leasing of quota by its members.
The Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association (CCCHFA) website describes the Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector as a "pioneer of the sector system." According to the CCCHFA, "the Hook Association established its first 'harvesting cooperative' for fishermen using hook gear in 2004. A second Hook-sponsored sector, comprised of fishermen using both hooks and gillnets, was approved in 2006. This year, the two groups combined to form the Georges Bank Fixed Gear Sector."
The Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector is participating in the ongoing lawsuit against the Federal Government by the cities of New Bedford and Gloucester, the top fishing port in New England and the oldest port in New England, through the filing of an amicus brief arguing against the two cities. The brief was prepared with legal counsel provided by EarthJustice of Washington, DC.
Like many small businesses that must maximize the limited resources available to them, the local Cape Cod fishing fleet has had to diversify to survive. Over 50 of Cape Cod’s small-boat, owner-operator fishing businesses were able to optimize their ‘catch portfolios’ this year through trades and leases afforded by the sector management system.
Members of the Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector, along with the 15 other active sectors in New England, are actively working together to adjust and adapt their business plans to minimize risk. The goal? To find the right combination of quotas that best fit their individual business plans. Sector management allows the sector as a whole as well as individual fisherman to optimize their ‘portfolio’ of quotas while also providing flexibility each year to adapt to the economic and ecological challenges their fishing communities face.
“It’s simple. We leased out some quota we couldn’t catch, and leased in quota that we could,” says Fixed Gear Sector Member John Our. “Nobody else in the Sector needed it this year. Next year may be different. So why would we strand this quota inside the Fixed Gear Sector when it could provide fishermen in other sectors the opportunity to make a profit now?”
Cape Cod fishermen have made great strides this year toward becoming more efficient and profitable fishing businesses under new sector rules. The trading and leasing of groundfish quotas was integral to this success since it allowed fishermen within and between sectors the opportunity to piece together the amount and types of quotas they needed to run a successful fishing business. Since these leases are annual and not permanent, sector management allowed sector members to trade for quota that fit their business plans as they evolved throughout the year. At the same time, they are able to maintain flexibility to adapt to changing conditions in future years. As the status of marine resources change, so can fishermen’s business plans.
One of the unforeseen events Fixed Gear Sector fishermen had to respond to this year was a lack of codfish during what is normally a productive summer and fall. “We had no inshore cod fishery this year to speak of. I had to turn to fishing for dogfish and bluefish,” stressed Fixed Gear Sector handline fisherman Ted Ligenza. Other Fixed Gear Sector fishermen confirmed this sentiment, and pointed out that the substantial abundance of skates and dogfish had “overrun” traditional codfishing grounds off Cape Cod. According to Fixed Gear Sector Member Eric Hesse, “being able to catch several species means less risk than going ‘all-in’ on one species.”
As a result, local fishermen did what they do best – they found a way to make it work. Many Fixed Gear Sector Members diversified their businesses and turned to catching spiny dogfish, landing 1.2 Million pounds of this overabundant species. Others focused their efforts on catching nearly 400,000 pounds of monkfish and 2.5 Million pounds of skates. Fixed Gear Sector Members also landed 250,000 pounds of lobster; 71,000 pounds of scallops; 150,000 pounds of tuna; and 75,000 pounds of striped bass and bluefish. The Fixed Gear Sector sailed over 1,750 sector trips between May 1, 2010 and March 1, 2011, and caught over 2.1 Million pounds of groundfish; over 50% of which was harvested by hook-and-line. In total, over 50 active fishing vessels landed over 6.6 Million pounds of commercially-important seafood.
Fixed Gear Sector fishermen already have their eye towards the upcoming fishing year, which starts on May 1, 2011. As they look forward to improving environmental and economic conditions, Fixed Gear Sector Member Bob St. Pierre summed it up by saying “I’m going to go where the opportunity is, and I’m looking forward to a good year.”