Yellowtail ACL could crush
scallop fleet


PLYMOUTH, MA – Scallopers have known for months that the situation could be grim, but during the New England Fishery Management Council’s mid-September meeting here, the reality became all too clear. There will not – absolutely will not – be enough yellowtail flounder quota available to fill the needs of both the Atlantic sea scallop and Northeast multispecies fisheries.

That means the council will be confronted with possibly its most difficult allocation decision ever – divvying up extremely small yellowtail quotas between the region’s healthy, multimillion dollar scallop fishery and its treasured, age-old groundfish fishery.

“This is pitting fishermen against fishermen here with these extremely limited resources,” said New Hampshire council member David Goethel. “You’re going to have to decide whose fish these are.” ...continued

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