The following release was recieved from the Massachusetts House of Representatives: BOSTON—State Representative William M. Straus (D-Mattapoisett), joined by Representative Quinn (D-Dartmouth), Representative Peterson (R-Grafton), Representative Ferrante (D-Gloucester), Representative Koczera (D-New Bedford), Representative Canessa (D-New Bedford), Representative Cabral (D-New Bedford), and Representative Gifford (R-Wareham), authored a resolution calling upon Secretary Locke of the U.S. Department of Commerce to increase the 2010 Annual Catch Limits for the 19 fish stocks in the Northeast multispecies fishery.
“As legislators, we are concerned about the new regulations adversely affecting what is already a difficult situation for our state’s fishermen. We believe the new regulations are not only overly burdensome but also threaten to unnecessarily deplete jobs in the fishing industry” said Rep. Straus. “This resolution calls on the Secretary of Commerce to exercise his powers to implement emergency regulations and increase the catch limits” he added.
“We fully support the efforts by our New England Congressional delegation to address the inequities in our current fisheries management regulations which are scheduled to go into effect next week,” said Rep. Quinn. “We should understand that we must reach a necessary balance between protecting fish stocks and protecting fishermen and their families.”
Fishermen and coastal communities in Massachusetts depend heavily on the Northeast multispecies fishery as a resource and as an important source of revenue, but recent data (2007) have reported that New England’s groundfish landings have fallen to $92 million from previous highs of $313 million annually. This decrease in value has increased concern about the stability of the local economies and the potential for fishermen to earn enough money to support themselves and their families.
While values have decreased, certain annual catch limits for 2010 have been dramatically reduced by up to 75% of 2009 levels, furthering concerns about economic viability. Many fear that the new 2010 groundfishery management approach will prove similar to past efforts that did not effectively manage fish stocks. 2007 data demonstrate that only 27% of the total allowable catch was harvested due to regulatory measures designed to protect the weakest stocks, costing fishermen and coastal economies approximately $500 million.
The Massachusetts bi-partisan resolution is mirrored after language sent by 23 members of the Congressional delegation of New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts, including both U.S. Senators for Massachusetts, to the Secretary of Commerce for relief from the Federal Plan scheduled for implementation on May 1, 2010.