patrick to attend summit on fishing rules

I have the feeling this is going to backfire on the average fisherman.
Patrick to attend summit on fishing rules


March 8, 2010


NEW BEDFORD


Governor Deval Patrick will headline a fisheries summit in New Bedford today as local fishermen address new rules taking effect May 1. The event, to be held at the Whaling Museum all day, is open to the public and will feature panel discussions on the fishing industry as well as remarks from Patrick, US Representative Barney Frank, and Mayor Scott Lang of New Bedford.

Under the new regulations, fishermen will be divided into groups and must combine and manage their catch allowances of groundfish among themselves. The system is intended to increase fishermen’s autonomy and profits, while protecting stocks with rigid catch limits. But fishermen say the regulations could allow large companies or a few fishermen to seize most of the shares. The event is sponsored by city of New Bedford, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, and the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute.