WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) Aug. 2, 2012 — The New England Fisheries Management Council and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released notes and statements today indicating that "Several important fish stocks are in poor condition and some catch limits for 2013 will be reduced markedly from 2012." The statements and notes were released at a New England Fishery Management Groundfish Committee meeting.
The notes indicate severe cuts of approximately 70% for cod, haddock and American plaice. Yellowtail flounder stock cuts are predicted to be approximately 50%. Looking back two years, the most severe overall cut is in the Georges Bank stock of yellowtail flounder, which is predicted to have a 2013 allowable catch that is 94% lower than it was in 2011.
The notes continue "These reductions will have impact across all segments of the groundfish fleet. Reductions in yellowtail flounder will also affect the scallop fishery. The reduction in catch limits is largely a result of the need to prevent overfishing. Several stocks have experienced several consecutive years of poor recruitment, while some remain subject to continued overfishing, despite stringent management requirements."
Statements have been released by Samuel Rauch of NOAA Fisheries, and C.M. “Rip” Cunningham Jr. of the New England Fishery Management Council, and also by the Northeast Seafood Coalition, the largest membership organization in the northeast groundfish fishery.
STATEMENT FROM SAMUEL RAUCH, NOAA FISHERIES, AND C.M. “RIP” CUNNINGHAM JR., NEW ENGLAND FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
As we have been discussing over the past several months, the groundfish fishery in New England will face many challenges in 2013. We are committed to this fishery, to this industry, and to the people in this community; preserving the groundfish industry is of the utmost importance to us and we’ll put forward our unwavering support. Today, we are continuing to engage in a conversation with our regional partners well in advance of the start of the 2013 fishing year. While there is unlikely to be any solution to fully mitigate the challenges in 2013, we plan to continue to work closely with the industry to explore every possible option.
NSC STATEMENT ON FINDING WORKABLE SOLUTIONS FOR FISHING YEAR 2013
The Northeast Seafood Coalition (NSC) is committed to evaluating and pursuing every possible option to mitigate impacts of the dire forecast for 2013 fishing opportunities on our membership and the groundfish fishing industry.
At this point in time, everything has to be on the table—science, management and the law. Year after year, industry has complied with everything the science and management have asked for; but ultimately, the status of several core stocks continues to decline. There are much larger forces at work in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank than just controlling fishing mortality or preventing overfishing on an instantaneous basis. It’s time for NOAA, Managers and Congress to openly acknowledge that low productivity of fish stocks is outside the control of the law or fisheries management and we can no longer continue to destroy fishing communities in an effort to control the uncontrollable. It is not only unfair to hold fishermen fully and exclusively accountable to the natural cycles of complex natural ecosystems, but it is irresponsible to continue in this manner. It is now time to review and understand the larger picture of this ecosystem and develop management strategies that are more reflective of this stark actuality. An overhaul is required, or else there will be no groundfish fishery.
NSC—the largest membership organization in the northeast groundfish fishery, which represents a majority of the active fishermen in the region—looks forward to working with our members, Northeast Fishery Sectors, NOAA, the Council, and our champions in Congress in the coming weeks to find workable solutions that will be the least impactful to this historic industry.
Read the notes "Northeast Multispecies: Brainstorming Mitigation Alternatives for Fishing Year 2013" released today.
Read Congressman Barney Frank's Statement here