Title

The Gardner Bill: 100 Years Ago, Fishermen Failed to Ban the Otter Trawl.

Source

Island Journal

Date

1-1-2013

Pages

48-51.

Abstract

In 1912, Essex County, Mass., fishermen asked their congressman, Augustus P. Gardner, to introduce legislation that would ban the use of otter trawls on Georges Bank. Fishermen testified to the destructiveness of the gear and to its harmful effects on small fishing communities as otter-trawling put smaller fishermen out of business. The opposing side argued that mechanization was an improvement over the dangers of hand-line and tub-trawl fishing. Article includes an analysis of why the proposed legislation failed, as well as comparisons to the groundfishery industry of 2012 and 2013.

Subjects

Trawls & trawling, Fishing, Bills, legislative

Full text is not available here. Please contact the Library for a copy of the article.

COinS