Fishing limits may have devastating impact on MA industry

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - New England fishermen say that new regulations will be devastating to the centuries-old regional industry.

The New England Fishery Management Council voted this week to drastically cut the amount of cod that can be caught in the Gulf of Maine and George’s Bank (an area of the ocean between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia).

The move is expected to put bottom-dwelling groundfish like cod and haddock in short supply, and drive the prices up.

Michael Fitzgerald, the owner of Schermerhorn’s in Holyoke, told 22News it will also impact jobs across the region.

"It's a very big industry, you don't see the guy who supplies ice, fuel, smaller guys; it's sort of  a domino effect. It's not like a big factory closing where you would see people out of work, what's happening is what you will see is a ripple effect,” Fitzgerald said.

The massive cuts will be reevaluated year-to-year. Fish stocks have been dropping steadily for years now.