September 28, 2022 — After months of efforts by proponents, the New England Fishery Management Council chose not to move forward with the development of a scallop license allocation leasing program for the limited access fishery at its September meeting.
Around 100 were in attendance Tuesday at the Beauport Hotel, mostly scallopers, many of whom were from New Bedford, including Justin Mello.
“I’m obviously happy,” Mello, who spoke against the leasing program before, said after the move died.
“The Council did its job,” said Tyler Miranda, another New Bedford scalloper. “I actually have faith in the process again.”
Leasing would have allowed owners of limited access scallop licenses to sell portions of their days at sea to other boat owners.
“This leasing would be great for me,” said Paul Weckesser, owner of six scallopers and multiple shoreside enterprises. “I’m pretty vertically integrated.”