Portsmouth's Fisherman's Coop Closes

By Roger Wood on Friday, May 3, 2002.

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New Hampshire's largest fishing cooperative, The Portsmouth Fisherman's Co-op, has closed its doors, at least temporarily, and possibly permanently.

As Correspondent Roger Wood reports, the new restrictions placed on fishermen by a Federal Judge is the reason.

The telephone at the Portsmouth Fisherman's Co-op was ringing almost continuously, as the word quickly spread about the fate of the organization.

(SOT Fernandez) :03

"As of right now, we're closed."

The short announcement from co-op member Bud Fernandez represents a devastating blow to the New Hampshire fishing industry.
The Co-op was founded in 1978, and until now, has functioned continuously for the members who bring their fish in for sale to markets and wholesalers. But for founder Vincent Preen of Rye, the latest Gulf of Maine area closings, reduction in fishing days and increased net mesh requirements mean the end of independent fishermen.

(SOT Preen) :13

"I think the independent fishermen, the owner-operators of the boats are gone. There's no moreï¿½you're not going to have any owner operators. Most of the boats today even, the big boats, I'd say half of them are owned by people who stay ashore."

Preen said that he thinks that all recent regulations restricting fishing have been aimed at small fishermen, pointing out that the vessels owned by the co-op's 28 members are all 45 feet in length or less. Bud Fernandes, the former Co-op's Executive Director, has been fishing commercially for 12 years. He said that the seven member Board's decision to shut it down immediately was unanimous.

(SOT Fernandes) :20

"One of our biggest expenses is electricity, it's $2500 a month, the two fish coolers and the two ice machines. So, you know we're doing this from a dollars and sense standpoint. This is a business and we can't go backwards, so that's one of the things we have to do to insure we don't go backwards, is shut the electricity off.".

What isn't yet clear is whether the co-op, whose building is owned by the City of Portsmouth will reopen if the regulations are changed. Another fisherman, who didnï¿½t want his named used, pointed out that the impact on consumers will be noticeable, because fish markets will be stocked with foreign caught products, from Canada, Iceland and Norway.

(Fisherman who chose not to be identified) :15

"You know, the world's a smaller place. You can have things around the world in pretty short order. So since we can't deliver the fish to them, and the public still demands it, they can't get American fresh fish. It'll come from someplace else."

For now, all that is left of the cooperative is a black banner hanging outside the office door, which says, "Save Our Industry." Inside, the remaining fishermen all said that they would take part in a boat parade and rally scheduled for this Sunday at the Fisherman's Memorial statue in Gloucester, Massachusetts. For NHPR News, this is Roger Wood in Portsmouth.