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"We don't trust your data," New Hampshire charter boat fisherman Bill Wagner told regulators. "We don't believe there's a shortage of codfish. We don't believe there's a crisis in codfish." Massachusetts Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, who represents the port of Gloucester, criticized what she characterized as the constant, massive swings in scientific assessments on the size of fish populations. "We're always in the same dilemma and I don't understand why," she said. Gloucester fisherman Al Cottone said the new assessment has put the fishing industry "on death row." "The anxiety the industry feels is unprecedented," he said With so much doubt about the science behind the new data, Cottone said, regulators should give fishermen as much fish to catch as possible while they try to remove uncertainties in the numbers. "To basically flip the switch on the industry with so much reasonable doubt would be irresponsible," he said. Rauch said the verifying and improving the science is a top priority, and no one can predict if the new work can find something in the next year that significantly improves the assessment of cod health. "It's always possible we'll find something there, but even if we don't, this year allows us time to better plan ... for where this industry may end up," Rauch said. "Fishermen are resilient, they figure out ways to adapt. But this will be hard to adapt to."
[Associated
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