Mark Alan Lovewell
Vineyard commercial fishermen scored a key win in the struggle keep them from being squeezed out of the groundfish industry yesterday when the New England Fishery Management Council voted to adopt the sector system, granting the Vineyard its own sector.
The vote came after three days of meeting in Portland, Me. The meeting was attended by a small group of Vineyard fishing activists.
By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL
Fishing boats are back out in Vineyard Sound, after what has been a long stretch of really bad weather, not just on the land, on the water.
The Menemsha fleet returned to fishing for fluke on Wednesday, after being kept shoreside since last weekend because of the wind.
“I haven’t fished for three days,” said Capt. Craig Coutinho of the Menemsha dragger Viking on Tuesday night. “The fluke fishing was going pretty good, before we got this.”
With the future of the groundfish industry at stake, five Islanders plan to attend a three-day summit in Portland, Me., this week where a new management system that aims to rebuild stocks and make fishing profitable again will be considered.
The meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council opens today and runs through Thursday. The council is expected to vote on establishing a new sector system for catching groundfish, including cod, haddock and the many flounders that were once abundant in New England waters.
There was a hoedown at Morning Glory Farm on Saturday. The farm was celebrating its 30th year as an Island agricultural institution, with friends, customers and other farmers showing up to share in the fellowship on the eve of the first day of summer.
If there was one word to describe the weather the Vineyard has been experiencing now for weeks, it is Seattle — that northwest city that has a reputation for its gray, rainy weather.
It’s been like that on the Vineyard this spring. Skies are often gray and there is unscheduled rain, making it hard to plan the day.
The weather improved a bit mid-week with some sun, although temperatures remained quite cool. But according to the National Weather Service New England is caught in a cycle that just won’t quit.
There is plenty of evidence already on the waterfront: Vineyard sailors are getting ready for summer.