AP

Panel: Fishing plan can rebuild long lost cod stock by 2033

Jan 4, 2023, 5:21 PM | Updated: Jan 5, 2023, 7:39 am

FILE - An Atlantic cod swims in an aquarium at the Musee du Fjord in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, July...

FILE - An Atlantic cod swims in an aquarium at the Musee du Fjord in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, July 2, 2022. Federal authorities have announced an ambitious plan to rebuild the collapsed Atlantic cod stock. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal ocean regulators say a new fishing plan has a chance to rebuild the New England cod stock, which is a goal even many commercial fishermen have long regarded as far fetched.

Atlantic cod were once a cornerstone of the New England economy, but the catch has plummeted after years of overfishing, environmental changes and restrictive quotas. Most of the cod sold in the U.S. comes from overseas because many American fishermen avoid the fish-and-chips staple altogether.

But the regulatory New England Fishery Management Council has approved a new strategy that it said has a 70% chance of rebuilding the stock by 2033. The proposal, which is awaiting final approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, would use 10 years of low catch limits to try to rebuild the cod population in the Gulf of Maine.

The council said in a statement that the new plan will lower the fishing mortality rate for the fish over the next decade to “offer more protection for Gulf of Maine cod and give the stock a better chance of rebuilding.” But some fishermen are unconvinced cod are ever coming back.

Fishermen have grown used to choking quotas on cod catch and have moved on to other species, said Terry Alexander, a longtime fishermen from Harpswell, Maine, who targets haddock and monkfish these days.

“I would like to have my codfish back, for sure. We could make some money on them. But that’s never going to happen,” Alexander said. “Codfish is a dead issue with me because we’re never going to get them back. If they were jumping out of the water at the dock, we wouldn’t get them back.”

U.S. fishermen caught more than 100 million pounds of cod per year in the early 1980s, but that number fell to about 1.3 million in 2021 — the lowest haul in recorded history.

The vast majority of codfish that still comes to the docks in the U.S. does so in Massachusetts. Tens of thousands of pounds of the fish also come to land in Maine and New Hampshire. Foreign catch from countries such as Iceland and Norway dominates the U.S. market.

Environmentalists have pushed for regulators to take a new approach to save the cod stock because of the historic nature of the cod-fishing industry and the fish’s importance to ocean ecosystems. The council’s new plan has a higher chance of success than previous efforts, said Allison Lorenc, senior policy analyst with Conservation Law Foundation.

“This new plan will reduce fishing pressure to help cod recover while supporting fishing communities. Our hope is that this is the first of many decisions that will set cod on a path to a healthy population,” Lorenc said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

16 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

17 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

17 hours ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Panel: Fishing plan can rebuild long lost cod stock by 2033