Mayor Mitchell advocates for scallopers

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — Mayor Jon Mitchell is advocating for the New England Fishery Management Council to open the Northern edge scallop grounds to New Bedford commercial fishermen.

In a letter to Chairman of the Board, Eric Reid, Mitchell said that making these areas available would benefit the industry greatly, and create a “key new source of scallops.”

“While there are multiple species that are harvested by New Bedford fishing vessels, scallops are the prime drivers of economic activity within the Port of New Bedford,” Mitchell wrote. “The fishermen of New Bedford know this, and they take great care in maintaining the resource and recognize the strategic long-term importance of managing the biomass.”

Mitchell also said that the port of New Bedford is home to 7,000 jobs and 400 fishing vessels.

“The Port is a major driver of the regional economy, as shoreside businesses thrive by providing services to the fishing fleet, and tens of millions of dollars of public and private investment is currently underway modernizing port infrastructure,” he said.

Mitchell also testified before the before the board on Tuesday in Mystic, Conn.