Other Environmental Themes

Hope for Ground Fish in the Gulf of Maine

Bounded by Cape Cod to the south, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to the north, and the coasts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine to the west, the Gulf of Maine is one of the most biologically productive bodies of water on the planet. Rich in nutrients, and “fertilized” by high concentrations of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, the Gulf’s cool waters support a rich and diverse ecosystem, inhabited by thousands of plant and animal species, ranging from microscopic phytoplankton to magnificent whales.

But all is not well in paradise. Pollution and development have caused the degradation of coastal habitats, while overfishing and water quality changes have contributed to marked declines in coveted species like cod that were once so abundant as to have turned the Atlantic a murky brown. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) believes it is not too late to restore the Gulf of Maine to ecological health, while reviving populations of bottom-dwelling “groundfish,” such as cod, flounder, and haddock, which have been critically important to the region’s fishermen for centuries.

TNC’s Maine chapter—in collaboration with the Island Institute and the Penobscot East Resource Center—is employing an innovative strategy to help save commercially prized fish species that play a key role in marine ecosystems. Through this idea, called “permit banking,” TNC and its partners have purchased two federal fishing permits (and are considering buying more), which will be used to conduct research into sustainable fishing practices and to support fishermen who employ those practices. This is the first time permit banking has been utilized by a conservation group on the East Coast, though TNC pioneered a similar approach on the West Coast a few years earlier in California’s Morro Bay.

As part of this effort, TNC has paid fishermen to test out nets with a larger (seven-inch-square) mesh than the 6.5-inch diamond mesh version they are presently required to use. The new nets are more selective, the experiments showed, capturing a higher proportion of adult fish, while allowing more of the smaller, juvenile fish to slip through. The process is not only more efficient for fishermen, it’s also better for the health of fish stocks, explains TNC Maine’s marine program director, Geoffrey Smith. “The goal is to keep the younger fish out of the nets so they have a chance to spawn and reproduce before they might be captured later.” It’s better for fishermen too; since they don’t have to spend as much time sorting through unwanted “bycatch,” they can get their “keepers” on ice faster and in better shape. Indeed, one of the most valuable lessons to emerge from this experience is that fishermen and conservationists have a common stake in the Gulf’s well-being and can work cooperatively toward that end.