“Why should we help those who destroyed their own fishery?” This is the question that is usually trotted out when there is a debate about allowing lobster bycatch on groundfish boats here in Maine. There are other instances when this question is raised, usually when the phrase “struggling groundfish fleet” is incorporated into the conversation about the various problems associated with groundfishing in New England . Fishing has certainly changed over the years and those groundfish fishermen that may have been associated with destruction of the fishery are either now out of the fishery or are now actively trying to help restore the fishery. We have learned a lot over time. There has also been a dramatic change in fishing activity in Gulf of Maine. What was once the domain of groundfish boats, primarily draggers and gillnetters, is now the domain of other fixed gear fishermen, primarily lobstermen. There are still some draggers and gillnetters left of course but any coastal village in Maine likely has more lobster boats in the harbor now than there are groundfish boats in the entire state. It seems that there is always a hot button issue associated with groundfish these days and right now, it is cod. Cod populations are at historic lows and given the way that the groundfish fishery is now managed you need cod quota to be able to go fishing, even if you do not catch any cod. Why? Because you might catch a cod or two, maybe more. With the shift in activity in the Gulf of Maine from groundfish gear to traps some of the impact from human activity on cod is coming from a different group of fishermen. Traps do catch cod. Is it significant? There currently is little data to suggest that it is. But, given that cod are at such a low level it is our responsibility, as users of our natural resources, to do everything we can to help the cod recover. Every cod left swimming out there is important. If cod were as abundant as they should be a cod or two caught in a trap would be insignificant, right now, every single one counts. Groundfish fishermen are facing restrictions that could very likely shut down the fishery as soon as a very low cod quota is caught. This is a shame since there are some stocks out there that are showing real strong signs of recovery. Without cod quota however no one will be able to catch them. They will not be able to leave the dock with no cod quota available. While lobster is riding high right now in some areas there are no guarantees that this will last forever. There will need to be alternatives down the road for fishermen, groundfish could and likely will be one. It really is the responsibility of every user of the ocean resources to make sure there is something left out there for our future generations. The time to start is every day you go out fishing. Ignoring this responsibility will have a negative impact on all fishermen today and certainly the fishermen of the future, our descendants. The truth is we are all in this together; fishermen are fishermen whether they use traps or nets. Besides, do we really need government to tell us what to do all the time? I think fishermen are smart enough to do the right thing without having to be told what is right and what is wrong. The groundfish fishermen here in Maine throw back lobster as a conservation measure, this is the law. A law to require returning cod caught in traps back into the ocean is likely unenforceable due to the size of the lobster boat fleet. However, the lack of a law requiring cod to be thrown back does not mean that throwing back a cod caught in a trap is a bad idea, it can and will make a difference one fish at a time. Keeping all these resources healthy is the responsibility of the users of the resources, and it makes good sense. Lobster and groundfish are very valuable and important to our state economy. If the groundfish fishery fails now due the cod crisis every single fisherman out on the water will be part of the group that “destroyed their own fishery”. These resources, lobster and fish, are the responsibility of everyone who makes a living on the water. These are our fisheries whether you fish traps or nets. It is time for all fishermen to work together to help restore the cod, for now, for the future of our families who fish, our fishing communities and all the people of Maine who treasure all of our fresh locally caught seafood.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:27:09 +0000
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