Effects on Commercial Landings

Federal and state fisheries managers have used a variety of regulatory techniques since passage of the CZMA in 1972 in an attempt to manage and conserve fisheries at a sustainable level. Therefore it is reasonable to look for a relationship between regulations intended to reduce fishing pressure and conserve/increase cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine and trends in the cod population (however natural fluctuations in the population sizes must be taken into account and not confused with the positive results of effective fisheries regulations). One method of determining how effective regulations have been at preventing further depletion of fish stocks is to map out on a graph of landings where regulations were imposed.

Graph created by E. Brazer Jr.

Here we can see the graph of commercial landings of cod from 1960 to 2000. On this graph we can also see some of the major regulations that have been imposed on the fishery. In 1973 TAC limits were imposed on the commercial cod fishery. For the next 4 years commercial landings increased. Quotas were set and mesh sizes increased in 1977. Landings peaked and dropped over the next 6 years until mesh sizes increased once again. For the next 4 years landings continued to fall. In 1987 the minimum size of legal cod increased. Between 1987 and 1991 landings more than doubled. In 1991 minimum mesh sizes increased once again. However the landings plummeted almost constantly over the next 8 years. During this time many regulations were imposed on the fishery, including the development of new fisheries management plans, increased closure areas, increased minimum legal sizes, the prohibition of pair trawling, a moratorium on new groundfish permits, and the institution of permanent "No-Take Zones."

It appears that increases in minimum mesh sizes have had the largest effect on commercial landings. When mesh sizes were increased in 1987 commercial fishers experienced an increase in landings for the next 4 years. In addition, mesh size increases in 1994 and 1999 also resulted in increased landings. The increased landings most likely result from the increased mesh sizes allowing a larger number of cod to escape (and reproduce) from the previous year. Despite the fact that larger numbers of cod are allowed to escape from the next, landings still increase.

In addition, the implementation of No-Take Zones and a moratorium on new groundfish permits in 1994 and 1998 also appear to have increased landings.It is still too early to determine the effects of this massive regulation implementation, however commercial landings did increase between 1999 and 2000. We may have to wait 3 or 4 years before we can determine the effects of the latest regulations and whether or not commercial landings continue to climb.[32]

Looking back over the last 4 decades it is difficult to determine exactly what the effects of the regulations has been. This is partly due to the delay in effects of the regulations. Cod that escape because of an increased minimum legal size regulation will have another year to spawn before being caught. Their offspring then won't reach a legal size for another 4 or 5 years. In addition it is near impossible to isolate the effects of a single management measure when there are multiple regulations acting simultaneously on a single population. Finally, as was mentioned before, fish populations go through natural phases where they have larger-than-normal and smaller-than-normal numbers.

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