The Fishermen’s Dilemma
NE Management Declared Disaster
Boats tied up in Gloucester. Cuts in groundfish quota that will leave many boats operating at a loss, and the management shift to catch shares,which makes quota salable, is expected to hit major groundfish ports hard. James Acheson wrote, “Top-down management has its problems. You get a single set of rules for the entire range of the stock and even if there are major ecological and economic differences, too bad.” From “The Fish Belong To The People,” Will Hyler Photo
A new study uses the concepts of economic anthropology to understand the failures of New England groundfish management and to craft broad recommendations to correct the situation
“Modeling Disaster: The Failure of Management of the New England Groundfish Industry” is one of the latest papers to come from well-known “lobster commons” expert James Acheson, who has studied the success of Maine lobster fishery management for more than 20 years.
Maine’s lobster fishery, the study says, is well managed and sustainable, thanks largely to the role played by the localized nature of the fishery and the conservation ethic that arises when people know each other and solve problems together.
