U.S. fish management doing well, so what's up with New England?

Last month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service released their annual Status of U.S. Fisheries, which indicated that management is continuing to succeed, with more stocks rebuilt and rebuilding.

Here in New England, the story has been bleaker, with Maine's groundfishing industry tottering on the verge of extinction and recent stock assessments of cod suggesting the signature species is not recovering as previously thought. So why is New England an exception in the brightening world of U.S. fisheries management?

My story on the front of this morning's Portland Press Herald offers some explanations and background for the vast majority of you who don't follow fisheries policy closely.