Danny Murphy

Location of Interview
Collection Name

Sector Management in New England

Description

This project documents fishery management related changes in individuals, households, and communities in New England.

Interviewer
Affiliation
Date of Interview
11-02-2012
Transcribers

Matthew Schult

Transcript
Biographical Sketch

Danny Murphy, 39, is a commercial fisherman out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Mr. Murphy's father started tuna fishing later in his life, eventually owning a trawler which piqued perked his son's interest in fishing as a profession. Mr. Murphy began working on his father's trawler at around 16 years of age and would fish for groundfish and also dredge occasionally for scallops and sea urchins. Currently, Mr. Murphy owns a 36-foot trawler and fishes inshore for groundfish and scallops and is a member of Sector 2 in Gloucester. He joined a sector in the beginning; the common pool did not look appealing due to the perception that fisheries could close quickly once quota was used up. He has mixed feelings about sector-based management, pointing as a positive aspect to the flexibility to land fish in one big bunch if you are fishing and come across a lot of them. Mr. Murphy feels a negative about sectors is the leasing of fish and how larger vessels are able to lease from smaller boats; this has resulted, in his opinion, in larger boats from other ports fishing on inshore grounds that were traditionally fished exclusively by Gloucester-based small boats. He fears this pressure on the resource is affecting fish stocks and will put small boat operations out of business in his area.


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