A fleet of more than 14 fishing boats, mostly from New Bedford, staged a protest in the waters off Vineyard Haven yesterday afternoon to make a statement about fishery restrictions while President Obama is visiting the Vineyard.

“Fishermen have gone through a lot of pain. We support the rebuilding and don’t believe in overfishing. We want an increase in catch limits. We are not asking to catch more than biologically is allowed . . . We are trying to get the attention of the President, that this is an issue of a lack of balance,” declared Jackie Odell, executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition.

The coalition, made up principally of Gloucester and New Bedford commercial fishermen, ran a full-page advertisement in the Gazette on Tuesday this week.

“My business is only one of hundreds facing extinction . . . Is this the way to rebuild our storied, centuries-old groundfish fishery?” wrote Capt. Russell Sherman in a letter that was the centerpiece of the advertisement.

Yesterday afternoon, beginning shortly after noon, a parade of vessels came into Vineyard Haven, following each other single file. The vessels began honking their horns continuously, and what began as one horn became more. The sound echoed throughout the Vineyard Haven waterfront. The flotilla went around six times before leaving.

There were boats from Gloucester and New Bedford, Point Judith, R.I., and New York, but none from the Vineyard.

“The fishermen have gotten together to show unity and look for the Obama administration to improve the way fishermen are being treated,” said Ms. Odell.

These are difficult times for the fishermen, she said, and it is understood that there is a need to rebuild many fish stocks. But against that backdrop there remains serious concern for protecting the fishermen and their communities.

“We are very concerned about the way we’ve been treated,” Ms. Odell said. There was a report earlier this year that cited federal enforcement wrongdoing, she said. She said it is well known that the Obama administration strongly backs small business interests, and the coalition would like to see more help for the fishermen.

Ms. Odell said the groundfish regulations that took effect on May 1 are too harsh. “We feel that codfish have been rebuilt in the Gulf of Maine and we want to have access to those fish,” she said.

She said the purpose of the protest trip to the Vineyard was a “blotter message,” one that contains many pieces.

She said the limits now in place for some species of fish are creating an unnecessary hardship on fishermen, who are small businessmen.

“We are trying to get the attention of the President, that this is an issue of a lack of balance,” Ms. Odell said.

Capt. Vito Giacalone of Gloucester was a passenger on a fishing boat participating in the parade. The captain owns a Gloucester dragger and principally fishes for groundfish in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank. To him the important message he wanted to share with the President was this: “These are real, living people with real vessels. This is an active economy, a vibrant group of hardworking people. We don’t want to be destroyed by thoughtless federal regulation and law.”

Mr. Giacalone said he is opposed to the industry being forced to consolidate because of restrictions or future management. “I am for the mom and pop businesses,” the Gloucester captain said. “I am opposed to consolidation of the fleet into small bands. We want to allow more people to fish.”