The article in the April Portland Press Herald, “Maine cod fishery posted smallest catch in history in 2020,”needs further exploration to understand what is truly happening on our working waterfront.

1. Groundfish (species like cod, haddock, and flounder) are managed under a cap-and-trade system which limits landings. For species that are rebuilding, the allowed catch is set low. For abundant species, more catch is allowed. This creates incentives for fishermen to avoid fish like cod and target healthy stocks.

2. It is not just cod landings that are down in Maine but most other fish as well. For many stocks, the issue is not the health of the resource, it is an amalgam of factors including COVID-19, low market demand, Maine regulations prohibiting lobster catch on groundfish boats, and a lack of infrastructure on our waterfronts.

3. The Maine Coast Community Sector represents over 60 groundfish fishermen from around the state. Of our active Maine vessels, half land in Massachusetts. For the large boats, Maine does not currently have the capacity to offload and process the volume of fish they catch. For the small boats, prices tend to be better in Massachusetts, fishermen can supplement their groundfish income by landing lobster, and facilities offer more flexible services to fit their weather-driven schedules.

These Maine boats land millions of pounds of groundfish elsewhere and until we address the market, policy, and infrastructure issues we face in Maine, our fishing communities, and the revenue they generate, will continue to drift south.

Mary Hudson
Sector Manager
Maine Coast Community Sector
Brunswick

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