Representatives from the Economic Development Assessment team, an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, meet at conferences with local businesses and officials Monday, with added emphasis on the plight of local fishermen as that industry continues to experience declines in revenue. The conference held to discuss the region’s economic development in general, with representatives of the fishing industry high up on the agenda.
George Bald, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Revenue and Economic Development, said while the state’s fishing industry is small when compared to other components of the state’s economic resources, fishing by itself is an important industry with great cultural significance.
Fishing industry representatives were encouraged by EDA team panelists to present their concerns with today’s situations. The meeting was described as an exercise in gathering information without immediate analysis. Bob Campbell, president of Yankee Fisherman Cooperative in Seabrook, spoke of the structure of Seabrook’s fishing industry and the economic nightmare members of the cooperative are experiencing, all due to new fishing regulations.
In fact, Seabrook’s fleet has dwindled in size dramatically, from 23 boats in 2009, to 19 in 2010. Campbell said that they need to be able to catch the fish allotted to them without penalty. He added that more than 50 percent of the boats used in the last 10 years were gone for good. David Goethel, a commercial fisherman and captain of vessels from Hampton Harbor continuously since 1973, is also a member of the New England Fishery Management Council.
The mid-1990s saw the overfishing of ground fish and the move was on to limit fleet sizes, end overfishing and rebuild stocks. Recent new rulings include annual catch limits and accountability measures, and total allowable catches and private sector contribution, all part of an Amendment 16. Goethel said the bottom line is that what is needed by the state’s fishing fleets is fish in sufficient quantities and species, with little or no cost attached. This would allow the remaining fleet the ability to operate and support the existing infrastructure.
