ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 9, 2022
One of the oldest fishing industries in the U.S. sank to a new low in catch last year, signaling that efforts to rebuild the fishery still have a long way to go. New England fishermen have caught Atlantic cod for centuries, but catch has dwindled over the last decade due to overfishing, restrictive fishing quotas and environmental changes. Maine fishermen brought fewer cod to the docks last year than any other in recorded history. The state’s catch, which was more than 20 million pounds in the early 1990s, was less than 50,000 pounds last year.