I support catch-shares in principal, and I support ending overfishing and bringing fisheries into balance.
But will this latest regulatory overhaul and the catch-share system help rebuild New England’s traditional fisheries? I don’t know, but I certainly hope ― and pray ― it will.
Hopefully, when the stocks return, there will still be New England fishermen around to catch them.
In the last decade, New England lost 41 percent of its groundfish boats, dropping from 870 boats in 1999 to 505 in 2008, according to Tom Nies, groundfish plan coordinator for the New England Fishery Management Council.
I asked him what seafood buyers could do to help bring about sustainable fish stocks in New England. His answer? First, support funding for strong science.
“If you want sustainable harvesting, we have to have good science on what’s out there and what’s available to be harvested,” said Nies. “Catch shares are not a panacea if you can’t set the [total allowable catch] right.”
Second, pay attention to the gray area. Sustainability is not a black-and-white issue, said Nies.
“If you’re trying to evaluate which fisheries are sustainable or not, don’t just look at their current point, look at whether progress is being made or not.”