As I have posted here during the CATCH SHARE battle, the COMMON POOL was the last resort for those fishermen who did not want to get shoe-horned into one of the various sectors.
As written in SAVING SEAFOOD.ORG on the fate of these fishermen stuck within the minuscule landings allowed for all the fishermen in the common pool:
In the end, the council voted to crackdown on common pool fishing next year in an effort to prevent a free-for-all fishing derby. Many councilors voted to request draconian limits on common pool fishing with heavy hearts. "We've crippled the common pool, we've cut their throats," said Rodney Avila, a councilor and fisherman from New Bedford.
I must say this is truly a crime being perpetrated by NOAA head Lubchenco and Northeast Administrator Kurkul as they are unfairly starving fishermen out of the industry at a time when codfish stocks have made noticeable positive signs of rebounding.
For a number of fishermen, this may be the final nail in the coffin since those within the COMMON POOL will be shut out of this fishery on till the end of April 2011. With various control limit triggers set to slow down fishing in just 3 months, it is doubtful that this category will be viable for a bare handful to remain in for the future.
July 27, 2010
Small Entity Compliance Guide
Subject: Northeast (NE) Multispecies Common Pool Vessels – Gulf of Maine (GOM) Cod Trip - Limit Reduction and U.S./Canada Trawl Gear Restriction
Dear NE Multispecies Permit Holder:
This letter is to inform you that NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is adjusting the common pool GOM cod landing limit and implementing gear restrictions in a portion of the U.S./Canada Management Area to reduce catch of Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail for the remainder of the 2010 fishing year (through April 30, 2011).
GOM Cod - As of 0001 hours July 30, 2010:
• The GOM cod landing limit is reduced to 200 lb per day-at-sea (DAS), or any part of a DAS, up to 1,000 lb per trip, for limited access NE multispecies DAS vessels.
• The cod trip limit for Handgear A vessels is reduced proportionally to 75 lb per trip.
• The cod trip limit for Handgear B vessels is reduced proportionally to 25 lb per trip.
• The cod trip limit for Small Vessel (Category C) vessels is reduced to 75 lb per trip (within the 300 lb combined limit for cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder)
NE multispecies DAS vessels that have declared into the GOM, departed on a trip, and crossed the VMS demarcation line to start a trip prior to 12:01 AM on July 30, 2010, may possess and land GOM cod up to 800 lb per DAS, up to 4,000 lb per trip on that trip.
NMFS is authorized to make changes to the GOM cod landing limits to prevent under-harvest or over-harvest of the common pool sub-annual catch limit (ACL).
Based upon Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) reports and other available information, the current rate of harvest would result in the harvest of the GOM cod common pool sub-ACL before the end of the 2010 fishing year (April 30, 2011). GOM cod landings will continue to be closely monitored.
Further in season adjustments to increase or decrease the trip limit or implement differential DAS counting will be considered based upon updated catch data and projections. If 100% of the common pool sub-ACL for GOM cod is harvested, there will accountability measures (AMs) triggered for FY 2011, including differential DAS counting.
