October 5, 2012 — In light of the recent disaster declaration for the New England groundfishery, fishermen and managers need to begin planning for the future of this important industry to ensure that affordable opportunities exist for young fishermen as groundfish stocks rebuild.
Let's fast-forward, for a moment, to when populations of cod and haddock are commercially abundant off Maine's coast once again.
What will this mean for local fishermen?
The shocking, short answer is that most Maine fishermen won't have the rights to be able to catch those fish.
While there's been a lot written about the high abundance and low price of lobsters this year, one thing that hasn't been discussed is that most of the fishermen in this state don't have the federal permits required to catch anything other than lobster.
Over the past 25 years, Maine has lost its fisheries diversity — boats of different sizes, from different ports fishing with a variety of gear types for a variety of species.
The other key component of coastal fisheries is versatility — the ability to fish for multiple species throughout the year, or from one year to the next.
Both diversity and versatility are extremely important to the health of our fisheries economy, the lifeblood of Maine's coastal communities.
That's where Penobscot East Resource Center's New Entrants Project comes in.
Penobscot East Resource Center is a nonprofit organization committed to fostering marine stewardship at the community level.
Through our projects, we aim to secure a healthy future for coastal fishing communities.
Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald