When the National Marine Fisheries Service reduced the catch quota for groundfish to achieve full recovery of overfished stocks within the mandated 10-year deadline, a fisherman named Powell began having serious doubts he could make it through the summer.
For Powell, the problem is compounded by the government's inaccurate record of his 10-year catch history, the sole determining factor in determining his share of the quota.
Powell has his own records, plus dealer records, that prove he caught about 1.2 million pounds of fish in the four years between 1996 and 1999. But the government computer shows no fishing at all for Powell during these years.
Without those years, he is short about 120,000 pounds of his proper annual share. The shortage is worth, by conservative estimate, about $120,000 — which could mean the difference between fishing with his crew or putting the boat up.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.