That photo is from last summer - those are Midwater Herring trawlers - each vessel is about 120' and they pair trawl for herring (two boats get together and tow one massive net).
There are about 40 of them based out of New Bedford, Gloucster, and Portland Maine, and each year they are taking millions of pounds of Herring out of the Gulf of Maine and Inshore Waters.
Herring #'s in the runs aren't down because too many guys are scooping them up for bass bait -- it's these factory trawlers that catch them by the tractor trailer load when they go back out to sea.
Check out this site for some more info on the guys fighting this.
www.choircoalition.org
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