New Bedford Mayor seeks access to new scallop territory

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — New Bedford’s mayor testified in front of the New England Fisheries Management Council on Wednesday with the hope of re-opening one of the richest fishing grounds in the world.

New Bedford is already home to the largest commercial fishing port in the country, and Mayor Jon Mitchell said he is now working to give the city’s fishermen more resources to gather scallops, which he described as the prime drivers of economic activity.

“The basic policy that people have to understand is that the scallop industry is regulated by the federal government in a rotational method,” Mitchell said. “Kind of like what farmers do.”

“There are areas that are growing well with lots of scallops that are open up for fishermen,” Mitchell continued. “And places that are already fished with not many scallops to be caught are closed for a period of time.”

Mitchell testified before the council about reopening one specific area for scallops.

“It is on the northern side of Georges Bank, which is a big area of ocean directly east of Cape Cod, one of the richest fishing grounds in the world,” Mitchell explained.

The Northern Edge has been closed for 30 years now due to overfishing.

“There is a whole lot of data and many anecdotes from fishermen that suggest that this area is a jackpot for scallops,” Mitchell said.

The mayor said New Bedford’s port employs 7,000 people and 400 fishing vessels.

“80% of the landings here are from scallops,” Mitchell said. “So when new areas are opened up, frankly it translates directly to more jobs in our city.”

Mitchell said the process will not be quick, and the rule-making effort will take about another 18 months.

The hope is to have the area opened for fishermen as soon as possible.

Categories: Massachusetts, New Bedford, News