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September 27. 2012 12:34AM
NH fishermen say Feds listened to what they said
PORTSMOUTH — New Hampshire fishermen are “elated” with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s decision to switch to February and March a “consequence closure” for the gillnet fleet originally scheduled to start Monday.
“It allows them, I think, the opportunity certainly to stay in business this year and to reconsider what they want to do next year,” New Hampshire fishing sector manager Josh Weirsma said Wednesday.
The intent is to protect harbor porpoises.
Local fishermen and advocacy groups have been pleading with NMFS for months to move the closure from October and November to February and March, when more harbor porpoises have historically been taken and the economic impact on the industry would not be as drastic.
After announcing the switch, the new regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, John Bullard, said he expects fishermen to work toward reducing the number of harbor porpoise takes to at least the 2004 low of 310 takes.
“What has to happen now with this shift is that we’ve got to get back to levels of compliance that the industry has shown that they can achieve,” Bullard said.
Weirsma said if the closure had gone forward in five days, he expects more fishermen would have sold their fishing permits and left the business. But the biggest thing, Weirsma said, is that the decision begins to restore a level of trust and faith in NMFS that has been missing for a long time.
“I have always said that would be one of the biggest byproducts of this decision if he agreed with us,” Weirsma said. “Fishermen haven’t had an opportunity to trust the agency for a long time and to feel that they really have their best interest at heart. It is going to work both ways, if they trust fishermen, fishermen will trust the agency and we’ll all be able to develop better plans moving forward.”
The decision was praised at the Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative in Seabrook.
The co-op had already put out word to employees that they would need to find new jobs for the next two months, as there would not have been enough fish to sustain the market.
“It’s like we got word we retained our employment,” said Don Ringwood, retail manager at the co-op.
Ringwood said he is especially happy to contact area school districts that had been calling for local fish to tell them it will be available.
Gretyl Macalaster may be reached at gmacalaster@newstote.com.
“It allows them, I think, the opportunity certainly to stay in business this year and to reconsider what they want to do next year,” New Hampshire fishing sector manager Josh Weirsma said Wednesday.
The intent is to protect harbor porpoises.
Local fishermen and advocacy groups have been pleading with NMFS for months to move the closure from October and November to February and March, when more harbor porpoises have historically been taken and the economic impact on the industry would not be as drastic.
After announcing the switch, the new regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, John Bullard, said he expects fishermen to work toward reducing the number of harbor porpoise takes to at least the 2004 low of 310 takes.
“What has to happen now with this shift is that we’ve got to get back to levels of compliance that the industry has shown that they can achieve,” Bullard said.
Weirsma said if the closure had gone forward in five days, he expects more fishermen would have sold their fishing permits and left the business. But the biggest thing, Weirsma said, is that the decision begins to restore a level of trust and faith in NMFS that has been missing for a long time.
“I have always said that would be one of the biggest byproducts of this decision if he agreed with us,” Weirsma said. “Fishermen haven’t had an opportunity to trust the agency for a long time and to feel that they really have their best interest at heart. It is going to work both ways, if they trust fishermen, fishermen will trust the agency and we’ll all be able to develop better plans moving forward.”
The decision was praised at the Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative in Seabrook.
The co-op had already put out word to employees that they would need to find new jobs for the next two months, as there would not have been enough fish to sustain the market.
“It’s like we got word we retained our employment,” said Don Ringwood, retail manager at the co-op.
Ringwood said he is especially happy to contact area school districts that had been calling for local fish to tell them it will be available.
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Gretyl Macalaster may be reached at gmacalaster@newstote.com.
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