After years of clashing passions and interests, the federal government's new, tighter commercial fishing regulations take effect Saturday, the start of the 2010 season.
Fishermen and regulators agree the new rules — designed to prevent overfishing — will put some boats out of business and might eventually lead to higher fish prices for consumers.
Known as the "catch-share" system, the rules allocate catch quotas to cooperative sectors made up of several fishing boats. Once the sector reels in its quota of prized groundfish such as cod, haddock and flounder, all boats in the cooperative must stop fishing for the year.
Under the old rules, individual boats were assigned days at sea along with fish catch quotas. If they fished more often than authorized and caught more fish than allowed, they were fined.
Fishermen in Gloucester, the nation's oldest fishing port, and elsewhere have objected to the catch-share system, saying it reduces dramatically the volume of fish they can catch.
Many fishermen say the new rules will put them out of business.
"We are going to be restrained to catching roughly 25 percent of what we've been able to catch in the last few years," Richard Burgess, leader of the Gloucester fishing cooperative, told Boston public radio station WBUR.
"That means about 75 to 80 percent of the fishing fleet will be bankrupt by November. Sector management can't work. It is impossible. It's like playing a bad game of Texas Hold 'em."
Paul Diodati, director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, said the goal of the new regulations is to end overfishing and restock dwindling groundfish supplies to ensure the future of the fishing industry.
But he also admitted that the lower catch quotas will squeeze fishermen, especially small boat operators, reducing annual fishing revenues in New England from $100 million to $60 million.
Furthermore, Diodati said, with fewer fish being caught and sold, the price of fish to consumers will eventually go up, though he did not venture a guess on how much.
"The demand for fish is there," he said. "So a reduced supply will drive up the price of fish. Consumers like fresh fish. It is a food that is safe and healthy."
Any price increase will likely affect mostly consumers in coastal states, where fresh fish are a staple, market experts said.
Read the complete story at CNHI News Service.