New England authorities established a new fishing system as a conservation measure for cod, flounder and other groundfish stocks last week. Fishers can now form cooperatives or “sectors” and be allocated a yearly quota to divide as they see fit.
The change will allow fishers to stay out at sea for substantially longer than the previously strict limits permitted as well as bring back larger catches. This flexibility will serve to shelter fishers from precarious weather conditions as well because they won’t have to hurry to fish before the quota is used up.
It will also reduce the quantity of fish they toss back into the ocean when having caught more fish than they could take back to port, reports The Boston Globe.