November 30, 2018 — The fishing industry pleaded with NOAA on Thursday afternoon for the one thing the agency couldn’t promise: urgency.
“Unfortunately with the management process that we have, to abide by the law, which obviously we have to do as a federal agency, we have to abide by the law,” NOAA’s Northeast Regional Administrator Mike Pentony said. “We are subject to constraints. It is very difficult for us to react, to change quickly.”
To better understand the constraints experienced both by NOAA and the commercial fishing industry, about two dozen people involved in fishing, its regulations and development discussed the obstacles and solutions for about two hours during a monthly roundtable conversation held by the Port of New Bedford.
The turnout at the School of Marine Science and Technology was one of the best the meeting has seen, Pamela Lafreniere of the Port Authority said.
The roundtable looked at what vision the fishermen and NOAA have for the groundfish industry and then touched on quota.
A common theme emerged from the fishing industry as it pelted Pentony with grave concerns regarding the future of the groundfish fishery.
“This is the very bottom and the most discouraged mount of fishermen that I’ve seen since I’ve been involved in fisheries and that goes back to the mid-70s,” fisherman Ed Barrett said.
“I can’t tell you how bad it is. You can ask any fishermen,” fisherman Ron Borjeson said. “We spend more time getting away from the fish than we do catching the fish.”