On January 16, the City of Gloucester’s Fisheries Commission will sit down with the City Council to discuss and listen to industry leaders and their comments/ concerns. The purpose of this forum, which is open to the public, is to discuss the current state of the fishery and how government officials in America’s oldest seaport can work collaboratively with shoreside business owners and industry members to support and bolster fishing-related operations.
Re-constituted in 2011, the mission of the Commission is to investigate, advocate and recommend measures for the promotion, preservation and protection of the Gloucester fishing industry.
From the Gloucester Daily Times:
“The forum is slated for Friday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m. in City Hall’s Kyrouz Auditorium, according to City Council president Paul McGeary, who will co-host the forum along with Fisheries Commission Chairman Mark Ring.
Members of the public will also be accorded time for comment following the scheduled presentations, McGeary said.
Specific topics
McGeary said that, in order to facilitate the meeting, participants will be asked to address the two topics below in their remarks:
1. Short-term assistance and opportunities for the Iishing industry — as in “What can be done (specifically) to preserve the industry and its required services for the next three to five years,” the meeting’s agenda states.
2. The long-term direction of the fishery — specifically, what are the realistic expectations for the traditional groundfish fishery, what are the possibilities for transitioning from a high-volume, low-price to low-volume, high-price industry, and what are the possibilities for targeting underutilized and comparatively abundant species, among other issues.”
Anyone who is invested or interested in the current status and future prospects for our local fishing industry is encouraged to attend.
