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A fish house decorated with lobster buoys is seen at low tide, Friday, June 20, 2014, in Port Clyde, Maine.

(Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press)

Cod, the white flaky fish associated most heavily with fish and chips, is beloved for its delicate flavor and its texture.

To New Englanders – and possibly the nation -- cod is likely the best example of the prototypical fish. Is there a trade, or recreational activity, more closely associated with New England than fishing?

Cod, a groundfish, is rapidly and inexplicably disappearing. The demise of the New England cod supply appears to be at least partly attributable to rising ocean temperatures.

The following is an excerpt from a June 2014 report called “Building a Sustainable Value Chain for New England Groundfish,” by Future Fish and Neel Inamdar for the New Venture Fund:

“The (groundfish) fishery was declared a disaster by the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2012, and quotas for key stocks were slashed severely in early 2013, further burdening already flailing businesses. Local waterfront landscapes are dotted with vacancies and companies on the verge of bankruptcy. A significant portion of fishers and other seaport business owners — overwhelmed by uncertainty and the prospect of losing their incomes, as well as their only known way of life — show signs of psychological stress disorders. The need for intervention is critical, and the timeline is urgent.”

Since that report was published, there’s been more bad news, specifically about cod. Patrick Whittle of The Associated Press reported this week, "the amount of cod spawning in the Gulf of Maine is estimated to be at 3 to 4 percent of its target level," and the Massachusetts cod catch plummeted "from 6,810 metric tons in 2009 to 4,075 metric tons in 2012."

The June report discusses eco-system-based fisheries management, which might help regulate the supply more effectively than the politically based boundaries used currently. That kind of management would provide quotas based on ecological, rather than political, boundaries.

Given that the stock of cod and other groundfish is depleting dramatically, and with it an entire trade that helped feed the coastal New England economy, eco-system based fisheries management is worth a try.

It's difficult to imagine that it could be a panacea to this complex issue and its attendant problems, but it might help.