Kevin Norton
Sector Management in New England
This project documents fishery management related changes in individuals, households, and communities in New England.
Elizabeth Wetterhahn
Kevin Norton, 42, is a commercial fisherman out of Scituate, Massachusetts. He began fishing as a kid, left fishing for a while and has now been fishing full-time for the past 14 years. For the majority of his commercial fishing career, Mr. Norton has gone groundfishing on a dragger in the Gulf of Maine. He is a member of sector 10, but would leave sectors very quickly if it were possible to make a living wage in the common pool. Mr. Norton has a negative view of sectors and feels there is a large amount of uncertainty in fishing as a result of sector and other fishing regulations. Everyone is defeated and there is increased discord among fishermen as a result of quota allocation. Mr. Norton has stopped attending meetings, as he feels he's not being heard. He has observed big boats coming into inshore fishing grounds and depleting fish in areas that were previously fished in a more sustainable manner by small vessels and believes that sector management has led to this change in fishing patterns. Mr. Norton is not optimistic about the future of fishing, especially for small fishermen in Scituate, MA.
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