Change In Fishing Rules

        Since the fishing rules began nine months ago, there is scarce data on what is happening. One large boat owner in New Bedford said he is buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of quota from other fishermen. Several small-boat fishermen said they are leasing privileges to fish and, in some cases, getting out of the business altogether. Saving Seafood, a fishing industry group, estimates that more than 330 fishermen and crew and probably many more are not fishing in Massachusetts this year, out of a total of about 3,000 full- and part-time workers. 

In Plymouth, fishermen ave stopped going to sea in the past year as controversial new rules take hold that could fundamentally alter the storied fishing economy, culture, and communities of New England. The regions scenic harbors already shelter hundreds fewer fishing boats than a decade ago, but some worry that smaller boats may vanish altogether: There are some signs the new rules, which assign groups of fishermen a quota on their catch f cod and other bottom-hugging fish, could accelerate a trend of consolidation those boats into far fewer, more efficient vessels. Some small boat fishermen are selling or leasing their allotment to others under the new rules because they cannot turn a profit.

Steve Welch leased the fishing privileges on both his boats and laid off three workers this year. “We are talking jobs, tradition, culture,’’ he said. “All that will be left are large boats owned by corporations with deep pockets.’’ 

New management rules-coming at the same time fishermen’s catches were reduced to hasten the rebuilding of fish stocks have unleashed a political and legal battle. The cities of New Bedford and Gloucester have sued the federal government, saying the new rules violate the law. Some fishermen say they were given a smaller allotment than they deserve. Governor Deval Patrick and members of Congress have pressured the Obama administration to allow more fish to be caught. Mark Grant a policy analyst with the federal fisheries service says; Sectors were a way to give fishermen and fishing communities some flexibility. For example, if a fisherman cannot make a profit because of his catch allotment, he could lease it to another fishermen to make some money until stocks recover enough for him to fish again. Grant said, that some fishermen will be pushed out of business for good because there are still not enough fish for all the fishermen. And that is a hard thing to take. “Fishing is not what [these fishermen] do; it is who they are,’’ Grant said. “It helps define the community. You can’t say that about selling tires. They are a cultural icon.’’

The industry has already consolidated. Between 2001 and 2009, the number of vessels landing ground fish in the Northeast shrank from 1,024 to 477, according to federal statistics.