We know that many of our fishermen have had to pull their boats due to regulations that have limited their days at sea. Our farmed salmon industry disappeared to Canada. Lobstermen are still fishing, but find their waterfront access is becoming more limited by developers. Landings in Maine have moved to the south, as the Gloucester, Mass., market becomes more fully developed. Maine needs more jobs focused in this critical area of its heritage.
Done right, catch shares can actually enhance economic development in our communities, tying more boats to the dock while also boosting the resilience of our region’s fisheries. It begins with NOAA supporting and encouraging Community Fishing Associations, which would provide affordable, local industry access to fisheries and opportunities for qualified new fishermen.
It’s also crucial that fish allocations be traded, tracked and reported in a transparent and accessible manner, and that NOAA grant initial allocations of fish quotas to communities. In all, the panel created 16 recommendations for NOAA that we believe will create jobs and long-term prosperity for our nation’s fishing towns, big and small. Full copies of the report as well as an executive summary can be found at the Panel’s website www.ecotrust.org/catchshares.
Read the complete column at The Bangor Daily News.