FEATURE ARTICLE 2 

 NEW ENGLAND GROUNDFISH 



was instituted for the offsiiore New England wa- 

 ters under the auspices of the International Com- 

 mission tor the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries 

 (ICNAF). Quotas tor each species were allocated 

 by country, with the sum ot each species equal to 

 the total recommended removals. Additionally, 

 second-tier qLiotas, less than the sum ot a country's 

 species allocations, were intended to mitigate the 

 effects ot nontarget bycatch, so that species quo- 

 tas would not be exceeded. The quota system un- 

 der ICNAF eftectively ended directed distant-wa- 

 ter fisheries on New England groundtish resources, 

 as these resources were determined to have little 

 capacity to support fisheries beyond the levels that 

 would be taken by the United States and Canada. 

 Quotas were progressively lowered on mackerel, 

 herring, longfm and shorfin squids, and other spe- 

 cies, as these resources declined as well. 



In response to the declining abundance and 

 landings of traditional New England oftshore re- 

 sources and elsewhere, the Magnuson Fishery Con- 

 servation and Management Act (MFCMA) was 

 promulgated in 1976. This measure effectively 

 ended distant-water fleet participation in New 

 England tisheries, although some countries were 

 allowed to harvest surpluses ot squids, hake, but- 

 terfish, and mackerel for a tew years toUowing en- 

 actment. 



Groundfish Fisheries Under 

 the Magnuson Act (1976-99) 



"No one knew exactly how iiiiiiiY iieivcomers 

 had arrived during the last four months of 

 1977. but according to one report, neiv boats 

 entered the fishery at the astounding rate of 

 about one every four days. " 



— Margaret Dewar 

 "Industry in Trouble" 



With the implementation of the Magnuson 

 Fishery Conservation and Management Act 

 (MFCMA) in 1977, the northeast U.S. ground- 

 fish fleet, once dominated by wooden side-trawl- 

 ers, was replaced relatively quick!)- b\' steel stern- 

 trawlers equipped with more modern technology 

 tor locating, catching, and handling fish. Relatively 

 strong year classes of cod, haddock, and some other 



Landings 

 (x 1,000 t) 



100 



90 



70 - 

 60 - 

 50 - 

 40 - 

 30 - 

 20 - 

 10 - 

 - 



- Cod 

 Yellowtail flounder 

 Haddock 



I I L 



J I I L 



J L_ 



Ill 



76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 87 

 Year 



89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 



Landings 

 (^ 1.000 t) 



100 - 



90 - 



80 - 



70 - 



60 - 



50 - 



40 - 



30 - 



20 - 



 10 - 



- 



Total 



GoQsefish 



-- Dogfish 



^ Long-finned squid 



Shon-finned squid 



76 77 78 79 80 81 32 83 84 85 86 87 .3! 

 Year 



89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 



groundfish stocks were produced in 1 97S, and they 

 later resulted in improved resource conditions and 

 increased groundfish abundance and effort in the 

 late 1970s and early 1980's (Figures 5 and 6). As 

 a result of the elimination ot the distant-water 

 fleets, U.S. and Canadian fishing ettort ott New 

 England expanded rapidly. Between 1976 and 

 1984, U.S. otter-trawl fishing eftort doubled. Fish- 

 ery landings expanded quickly, with the Georges 

 Bank component of the landings dominated by 

 cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder (Figure 7). 

 Trends in groundfish trawler catch per unit ot et- 

 tort (CPUE in metric tons per day fished) paral- 

 leled the abundance indices trom research vessel 

 sur\eys (Figure 6). C'atch rates increased rapidly 



Figure 7 



U.S. landings (• 1,000 t) of 

 cod, haddock, and yellowtail 

 flounder (top panel) and 

 goosefisfi, spiny dogfish, 

 shortfin squid and longfin 

 squid, (bottom panel), 1976- 

 97. 



7 7 



