Secretary of Commerce Proposes Even Stricter Groundfish Rules

By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL

Concerned about severe overfishing of key stocks in the waters off
New England, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on Tuesday stepped in to
propose strict emergency measures to curtail overfishing this spring.
The proposal supersedes measures enacted by the New England Fishery
Management Council, the regional regulatory body that has struggled over
the last year to meet a federal deadline for developing a sound plan to
save the troubled fishery.

Greg Mayhew, captain of the 75-foot dragger Unicorn out of Menemsha, is the last Vineyard fisherman still groundfishing on Georges Bank. And this year might be his last on the legendary fishing ground.

“I don’t know if I’m going to even go next year because it might be better just to lease the days out and get half price for them,” he said.