Overview

Seafood production is a stated goal of fishery management under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Historically, pelagic finfish species such as herring have generated a substantial portion of this seafood. However, consumer preferences and market structures have changed over time, such that today seafood production is dominated by invertebrates including lobster, scallops, clams, shrimp, and squid.

Organizations can be temporary (a fishing association formed to lobby on a specific regulation) or long-term (like the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association or Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association). Fishing cooperatives may be intermittent then close (like the Point Judith (RI) Cooperative) or the long-term (like the Point Pleasant and Belford (NJ) Cooperatives) (re.

As the link between fishermen, consumers, and the broader economy, markets play a key role in how fisheries operate. These linkages are complex, intertwining not only the global seafood market with your local fishmonger, or grocery store, but also regional labor, diesel prices, marine insurance, and other less obvious markets.

Long-term institutions in the Northeast influence fisheries at national, state, and local levels. Management institutions include the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Science Center and Greater Atlantic Regional Office, the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, state departments of natural/marine resources, and local harbor/fishing commissions. These create fishing regulations and/or conduct fisheries research. Political institutions include the US Congress, state congresses, and local town councils and mayors.

Culture includes beliefs, knowledge, artifacts, identity, and sense of place passed down through generations within a society. Northeast communities have depended on fishing since the 1600s-1700s (NMFS 2009).

Fishing-related communities can be based on places (on land or at sea) or interests (type or location of fishing activity). They are founded on consistent interaction: face-to-face, via marine radio, or online (such as social media sites for fishermen) (re. Clay and Olson 2006). “Communities at-sea” are groups of fishermen that work fish the same grounds (St.

Overview

Before being banned by the International Whaling Committee in 1955, commercial whaling drastically reduced whale populations in the North Atlantic. Some species that were heavily affected by whaling have seen a steady recovery since the ban, like the humpback whale. Others, like the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW), are still faced with extinction.

Overview

The medium pelagics group is made up of striped bass and bluefish, both of which support important recreational fisheries and, to a lesser degree, commercial fisheries. Striped bass are an anadromous species, which means they migrate into freshwater to spawn. This occurs primarily in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, after which adults migrate to northern feeding grounds in the spring and summer.  Bluefish spawning begins off of Cape Hatteras as early as May, and moves northward to Cape Cod as waters warm.

Overview

Groundfish are those species that live near or on the bottom of the sea floor.  Species included in this group are Atlantic Cod, Haddock, Acadian Redfish, Winter Flounder, and many others.  Throughout the Northeast, there is a rich tradition of fishing for groundfish with fisheries dating back to the 16th century (Murawski et al. 1997).  Besides being a popular source for food, they have a strong cultural influence on the region.

Overview

Small-medium pelagic schooling fish and squid species are important to both fisheries and food webs. This group includes Atlantic herring, river herrings, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, menhaden, and sandlance in the Northeast US. Forage fish in general can include any small pelagic plankton feeders, whether fished or unfished. Predation on forage fishes creates an important trophic link between the plankton and higher trophic levels.