Industry representatives and port officials told the legislative hearing that limited permit stacking, a formal role for the Sustainable Scalloping Fund and stronger protection of working‑waterfront infrastructure could provide near‑term relief for vessels and shore‑side businesses in New Bedford and other Massachusetts ports.

At the hearing Senator Marc R. Montigny said he has "bias" in favor of the fishing industry but wants decisions grounded in science. Industry speakers emphasized the economic scale of the scallop fishery and proposed modest, controlled permit consolidation to reduce operating days and costs while preserving local ownership caps.

"Support of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund means supporting a vision of industry‑led sustainability grounded in science and stewardship," said Jeruman Kavich, attorney for the Sustainable Scalloping Fund, which he described as an industry‑organized nonprofit to fund surveys, adaptive management and ecosystem protection. Kavich said the fund does not seek public funding but a formal partnership with the commonwealth to align state priorities with the fund’s research and stewardship program.

Industry witnesses asked the committee to consider a limited permit‑stacking rule (two permits on one vessel) that they say would allow vessel owners to operate more efficiently while keeping ownership caps and crew jobs in place. "We're not looking to put more than two permits on one vessel," one industry speaker said; the proposal the industry presented in testimony was described repeatedly as two permits per vessel and retaining ownership caps.

Port of New Bedford Executive Director John Regan told senators the port is the nation’s highest‑value fishing port by annual landed value, with scallops accounting for roughly 80‑plus percent of the port’s value. Regan said the port supports thousands of jobs statewide and warned that loss of dock space, cold storage and fuel terminals would undermine the seafood economy. Regan urged careful design of any stacking mechanism so that small single‑vessel owners, shoreside businesses and crew are protected.

Several captains and owners described current operating realities: limited days at sea for many vessels, rising insurance and maintenance costs, crowded dockage and safety concerns when multiple inactive vessels occupy limited berthing space. Second‑generation captain Tony Alvarez said stacking could let older owners reduce workload and improve vessel safety; he described running multiple boats with high fixed costs while fishing only a fraction of the year.

Industry witnesses also asked legislators to support the RSA program and to help preserve working‑waterfront infrastructure by prioritizing industrial zoning and port investments. SSF representatives announced outreach events, including an open house in September for broader industry discussion.

Ending: Legislators said they would continue to monitor conversations between industry, council and agencies. No statutory or regulatory change was adopted at the hearing; sponsors asked for continued engagement and follow‑up as any council or federal action moves forward.