Government Forecast Concedes Cost of Restrictions to New England Fishermen.

Byline: Beth Daley

Apr. 10--Dozens of New England fishermen will lose more than a third of their income during the best months for fishing and hundreds more could be hurt under a federal proposal to halt overfishing of cod and other species, according to the government's own forecast. In all, fishermen on as many as half of the region's more than 1,000 ground fish boats could lose money during the six months they fish the most.

Fishermen have long complained that ever tightening restrictions on fishing are driving them out of business. But documents from a National Marine Fisheries Service ongoing analysis, filed recently as part of a federal judge's order seeking ways to reduce fishing pressure, gives the first glimpse of what the federal government believes could happen starting as early as May 1 if the judge chooses their plan.

"Some or most of these commercial vessels will go out of business under [this] proposal," said David Bergeron, coordinator of the Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership, an association of fishing groups, in an e-mailed statement. His group does not agree with the federal regulator's data, saying there isn't enough information to make accurate forecasts. "The overall impact on these vessels is ... worse than what the statistics show."

In the last decade, as the region's legendary cod, haddock, and other fish stocks collapsed one by one because of overfishing, the federal government ordered limits on commercial fishermen ranging from the days they can fish to the size of their catch. Even though some stocks are beginning to rebound, conservation groups filed suit, saying regulators still weren't doing enough to prevent overfishing in the future. In December, US District Judge Gladys Kessler agreed with them and indicated she would come up with a solution by the start of fishing season May 1.

Since then, more than a dozen groups who could be affected by the lawsuit have filed their own suggested solutions, ranging from severe restrictions offered by environmental groups to looser rules from industry-related groups. The judge has not indicated which plan she prefers, but the National Marine Fisheries Service's proposed solution is expected to figure ...