A new set of fishing rules promises to use the best available science to determine how many pounds of fish from each species can be caught allowing the populations to rebuild. It also creates a new method of sharing the catch that gives fishermen the flexibility they need to maximize their earnings by controlling when and how they fish. The biggest threat to the new system, however, is not biology or economics. It's politics.
One thing that is clear is that the previous regimen, which limited a vessel's days at sea, did not work. Not for the fisherman or for the fish.
While some species are making a comeback, most are still declining after decades of intensive management. And nothing is disappearing as fast the fishermen themselves. While there were 350 boats in Maine 20 years ago, there are only about 65 now.
With the loss of active fishing vessels go jobs — on the boats and on the shore in businesses that serviced them. Further decline would wipe out that infrastructure, meaning that there would be no local industry to benefit when the fish stocks rebuild.
The old rules created the wrong incentives for fishermen. Limiting the catch by limiting days at sea and daily catch encourages wasteful practices, like discarding thousands of pounds of fish one day, and then going out for more the next. It also pushes fishermen to steam long distances, fish when the price is low or when conditions are unsafe just so they don't miss their opportunity.
Read the complete story at The Maine Sunday Telegram.