June 20, 2012 – BOSTON (AP), New England fishing regulators on Wednesday moved to determine whether herring trawlers, with their massive nets and stunning efficiency, are wiping out Atlantic herring and doing lasting damaging to other struggling northeastern species.
The herring industry says the often repeated charge is baseless, and there's no reliable evidence their boats are threatening either the fishing industry or the ecosystem.
On Wednesday, the New England Fishery Management Council voted to require independent monitors on every trip for the Northeast's largest herring vessels. Both the industry and its critics backed the requirement Wednesday, confident they'll be vindicated when the observers report what the trawlers do and don't pull up.
"We need to clear the air of all the lies that's been spoken over the last five years," said herring fisherman Peter Mullen during the council meeting in Portland, Maine.
But recreational fishing advocate Patrick Paquette said the sheer scale of the boats and gear used means they can have profound, if unintended, negative effects. "This fishery needs intense monitoring," he said.
The measure isn't expected to go into effect until at least spring 2013, as the industry and managers figure out how pay for it.
The tiny herring — no more than a foot long — are eaten pickled, but are more often sold as bait for more valuable species, such as lobster. They're seen as crucial by environmentalists and fishermen as food for numerous important species, from striped bass to whales.
Read the full story by Jay Lindsay of the Associated Press.