Moving Midwater HILLS, WWW.FISHYPICTURES.COM Trawlers Offshore PHOTO: DAVID
“Letting a fishery of this GIANT GEAR, GIANT CONSEQUENCES magnitude into the inshore area Sea herring are an important source of food for whales, birds and larger to take that biomass of food out fish. The industrial midwater trawl fleet that targets herring often fishes of the ecosystem when there close to shore. These industrial-scale ships are easily recognized because are so many species that are in they usually fish in pairs, towing a small-mesh net the size of a football field rebuilding stages is excessive.” between them that catches everything in its path.
“The main sustenance for many Problem 1: Bycatch Problem 2: Fishery Impacts of the fish we catch is herring. While these vessels fish for sea herring, When midwater trawlers remove Midwater trawlers are too they indiscriminately catch other fish, entire schools of herring from nearshore efficient; the fish don’t have a including striped bass, juvenile haddock, areas, cod, tuna, and other fish have to chance. When they fish close river herring and sometimes even marine move offshore in search of food. Not only to shore, they take away the mammals. This is called bycatch, and it does this disrupt the entire marine food food, and the fish we target either gets dumped overboard dead, chain, but it leaves small-boat fishermen leave our waters.” or mixed in with herring sold as bait. with nothing to bring to shore for our dinner plates.
Fishermen’s Commentary Our Solution Taken from letters submitted by commercial We want these boats to move farther offshore and protect Cape Cod’s fish, bird and fishermen to the New England Fishery Management Council. marine animal populations. Then, there will be abundant herring in our coastal waters for other fish to eat, and our small-boat, coastal fisheries can thrive.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Juvenile Haddock Atlantic Cod Striped Bass These impressive predators Young haddock are the same Lack of herring could also be Commercial and recreational migrate thousands of miles size as herring and are common impacting the ability of cod and fishermen have reported across the Atlantic Ocean to bycatch for midwater trawlers. other groundfish to rebuild their many malnourished stripers feed on schools of herring in When midwater trawlers catch populations. For cod populations in recent years. Stomach Cape Cod’s coastal waters. baby haddock, they take away to increase, they’ll need contents that used to be full When the midwater trawlers from haddock fishermen’s abundant food. If there are no of herring are now empty, and clean out inshore areas of future ability to make a living. forage fish for codfish to eat in fishermen are concerned. herring, the tuna leave to find inshore waters, they may never food elsewhere. return there.
PHOTOS (FROM LEFT): BLUEFIN TUNA: © KEITH ELLENBOGEN / OCEANA; COD: DIETER CRAASMAN; STRIPED BASS: CAPT. KALIL BOGHDAN, DOWNRIVERCHARTERS.COM. What is the Local Trawler vs. Midwater Trawler solution?
• Establish a buffer zone along the backside of Cape Cod to eliminate large-scale
industrial herring fishing ~ 50 ft ~ 150 ft in nearshore waters. ~ 50 ft ~ 150 ft • In 2007, the New England Fishery Management Council created a buffer zone prohibiting industrial midwater trawling for herring in the inshore We need to stop this! waters of the Gulf of Maine These giant vessels with giant gear are for nine months each year. capable of catching everything in their Marine life has rebounded paths…with giant consequences to our dramatically because of this coastal waters and fisheries. ~ 1 Football Field / 300 ft buffer zone. ~ 1 Football Field / 300 ft
Midwater trawlers remove Small-boat fishermen are Pushing the midwater trawl forage fish, leaving little for working hard to create buffer fleet offshore will help Cape Cod other animals to eat. zones to prevent this. return to a healthy ecosystem. A healthy, balanced ecosystem is These areas would be “no-midwater- This is an important step in improving supported by an abundance of bait trawl zones,” closed to industrial fishing Cape Cod’s marine life and rebuilding fish such as herring. operations, but open to small-boat inshore fisheries. fishermen.
GET INVOLVED! Help protect herring in our coastal waters so other fish have food to eat and our small-boat fisheries can thrive.
Join our fight to push the midwater trawl Contact the Fishermen’s Alliance fleet offshore. This is critical to the future about upcoming meetings, opportunities 1566 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633 of all fisheries; now is the time to get for comments and public hearings 508.945.2432 [email protected] out there and tell the Council and NOAA at 508.945.2432 or email www.capecodfishermen.org Fisheries how important this is. [email protected]