East Coast Pelagic Association is no more

September 18, 2006

East Coast Pelagic Association
For Immeadiate Release
September 18, 2006

On August 31, 2006, the Board of Directors of the East Coast Pelagic Association (ECPA) met and unanimously voted to dissolve the association. ECPA, a trade association founded in 2002 by fishing vessels active in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries, identified a primary goal to promote a rationale approach to capacity issues in fisheries. ECPA directors determined that this goal has been accomplished with the New England Fishery Management Council’s submission of Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan to the National Marine Fisheries Service in May of 2006.

In addition, ECPA has strived to promote scientific research to support sustained fisheries. The association has been successful in developing collaborative partnerships in support of herring tagging and projects to examine gear modifications to minimize bycatch in fisheries. A final gear research project will be concluded in the fall of 2006. On behalf of the ECPA membership, the directors would like to thank Maine Department of Marine Resources, Gulf of Maine Research Institute and National Marine Fisheries Service for their efforts in promoting research that supports healthy fisheries.

Successful in its mission, the ECPA directors feel it is now appropriate to continue these endeavors through other means. The board reaffirmed the importance of communication and industry consensus building on issues of significance to businesses in our fisheries and agreed to continue to promote these principles.

The directors would like to thank all of its members for their support and participation. Executive Director, Mary Beth Tooley, will assist the association in concluding its obligations and contracts, but will no longer promote industry positions on behalf of the East Coast Pelagic Association.

For more information contact:
Mary Beth Tooley
East Coast Pelagic Association
207-837-3537
ecpa@adelphia.net