NEFMC Changes Common Pool Rules 23 Days After Sector Deadline

The New England Fishery Management Council authorized a belated crackdown on common pool fishing next year in an effort to prevent a free-for-all fishing derby.

After 6 p.m., at the end of a long, tiring meeting which began at 8:30 a.m., and after at least half the audience had already departed, the New England Fishery Management Council took up debate on what many in the audience considered one of the most important discussions of the day. The topic was a letter that Patricia Kurkul, the federal regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service, wrote to the council last month. In it she said, "Members of the fishing industry have recently contacted me to express their concern regarding common pool management measures."

In the end, the council voted to crackdown on common pool fishing next year in an effort to prevent a free-for-all fishing derby. Many councilors voted to request draconian limits on common pool fishing with heavy hearts. "We’ve crippled the common pool, we’ve cut their throats," said Rodney Avila, a councilor and fisherman from New Bedford.

During the debate, many councilors expressed the desire to re-open the sectors to those fishermen who had chosen to remain in the common pool. Administrator Kurkul stated this would be impractical since business plans and other certification of the necessary documents for sector formation were well underway. Some councillors also suggested this was impractical as there was not sufficient allocation to support both sectors and the common pool, and many in the common pool did not have sufficient fishing history to bring to a sector.

Many in the audience expressed displeasure — even anger — at the scheduling that placed this debate in the evening, after many fishermen and industry members — whose days typically begin at 5 a.m. — had departed.

Read Richard Gaines’ coverage in the Gloucester Times