Does the Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Have a Future In The Gulf of Maine?

Brown University Center For Environmental Studies
Spring 2003

Recomendations for the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act / Sustainable Fisheries Act

After drawing my conclusions I propose the following recommendations for the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) / Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA):

§ Enforce stricter time frames for Council intervention plans
Often times it will take months or years to bring about a new regulatory measure. This is mainly due to the disagreement between fishers, the public and the managers on what is fair and appropriate. The MSFCMA must put a time limit on how long it takes for these regulations to go from the drawing board to being enacted. The time limit would depend on the magnitude of the regulation- an increase in minimum legal size should take a shorter amount of time to come up with than a permanent "No-Take Zone" in the Gulf of Maine. These next few years are crucial to the cod populations and should not be spent by fishers and managers butting heads.

§ Stress common definitions of "overfishing" and "safe yield" between fishers and scientists
Despite the fact that there are definitions for both these terms on paper, fishers and scientists may see "overfishing" and "safe yield" in different lights. A scientist may say that a cod population is "overfished" but a fisher will be hard-pressed to believe that if he/she just had the best fishing trip of their careers. In addition, fishers may believe that they are catching cod at a rate that still allows for the remaining population to be stable while scientists may believe that fishers are still contributing to the decline in populations. Fishers and scientists need to sit down and come up with an agreement on what defines "overfishing" and "safe yield." Once this happens then both parties will be working towards the same-defined goal.

§ Increase funding for research, monitoring and enforcement
Without proper funding research cannot be conducted, accurate data cannot be obtained and effective regulations cannot be developed. In addition the lack of funding prevents precise monitoring of regulatory measures already in place. Finally, the Gulf of Maine occupies an area of approximately 36,000 square miles. It is very difficult, near impossible, to enforce fishing in this area. However, increased funding for enforcement allows for a greater number of coast guard and policing boats to keep tabs on the fishers and make sure they are not breaking regulations and hurting the fishery.