BOSTON — A report on the first year of a controversial new fishery management system indicates Northeast fishermen are continuing to fish and catch less, while revenues are becoming increasingly concentrated in fewer hands.
The report released today by federal regulators also indicates prices jumped in the 2010 fishing year.
The new system, which began in May 2010, sees most fishermen grouped in “sectors” that share an allotted catch. The aim is more autonomy for fishermen, but some say the system is tilted toward bigger operations.
The report indicates revenues from groundfish, such as cod, fell between 2009 and 2010 from about $85 million to $83 million and the number of fishing trips fell from about 26,000 to 14,000. Average prices rose from $1.23 a pound to $1.44.
A more comprehensive report is expected later this year.
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