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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 32 Number 10
June 2005
NMFS renews GB cod hook sector; issues 2005 TAC to 49 members
CHATHAM, MA – Remaining true to the principles of self management, several dozen Cape Cod hook fishermen have again voluntarily committed themselves to the Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector.
In early May, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that it had approved the sector’s “operations plan and agreement” for another year and allocated the sector’s 49 members their 2005 Georges Bank cod total allowable catch (TAC).
If Framework 40B to the groundfish plan is implemented as expected, the sector will receive 455 metric tons (mt) of cod, which represents 11.12 percent of the overall Georges Bank cod TAC authorized in Amendment 13.
Last year, the sector had 58 members, but according to sector manager John Pappalardo, the core members are still onboard.
“We’re down nine participating vessels this year, but five of the nine were vessels that hadn’t fished in the past two years,” he said.
A couple of the departing members intend to use their boats in the charter business, and four are for sale. Since the sector contract is binding for the entire fishing year, signing into the sector proved to be too risky for boats on the market.
Pappalardo acknowledged that 2004 was a tough year. For starters, the sector didn’t become operational until mid-July, which took a couple of key fishing months right out of play. Furthermore, the Georges Bank cod stock is in tough shape.
“The availability of fish wasn’t there,” said Pappalardo. “Fishing conditions aren’t great for us right now. People are concerned.”
Consequently, the sector harvested only one-third of its 2004 cod TAC and tried to make ends meet catching haddock.
This year, members will be using additional survival tactics. Sector vessels intend to lease days among each other. Captains will be teaming up, consolidating days onto fewer boats, and therefore sharing some of the overhead costs.
“We’ve going to try to maximize profits to the sector and minimize expenses,” said Pappalardo.
Janice M. Plante
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