The following is taken from a press release:
Schumer secures commitment from Commerce Secretary to reexamine NY data collection system that limits fish catches for Long Island commercial fishery; presses Locke to increase 2010 catch limits on Choke stocks.
Schumer Called for an Immediate Review of Historical Catch Data for New York Fishing Community, Noting Allocations are Not A True Reflection of Historical Catch; Pressed Locke to Increase Limits on Choke Stocks, Like YellowTail and Winter Flounder.
New Catch Limits Making Problem Worse for Commercial Fishing Industry in Long Island; Have Potential to Shut Down Entire Sectors of Commercial Fishing Industry.
Schumer: Historical Data Inaccuracies and New Catch Limits Hurt New York Fishing Community, Put Them at Major Disadvantage
Today, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer secured a commitment from US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to reexamine the historic data collection system that severely limits catches for commercial fishers in Long Island and pressed the Commerce Secretary to increase 2010 catch limits on choke stocks in the North East Multispecies groundfishery, like yellowtail flounder, winter flounder, and pollock. Schumer noted the very real threat faced by commercial fishers who are seeing significant portions of their industry shut down because of overly stringent caps on catches that are not based on the best available and most accurate data.
“I am pleased that the Secretary committed to reexamining the historical data used in New York, which has the consequence of putting our fishing industry at a severe disadvantage within the region,” said Schumer. “Because our regulations are not based on the best available science and most up to date and accurate data, I am also pushing to see that Commerce uses its emergency powers to direct the National Marine Fisheries Service to increase choke stock catch limits in the groundfishery to address an impending emergency within our commercial fishing industry.”
Catch data for New York is flawed largely because fish caught in New York waters are kept in boxes while at sea, unlike fish in New England, which are generally stored in open pens. The box system was created over a century ago to make the transport of caught fish to open markets in New York City easier for transit. Instead of counting the individual fish and identifying their species, the actual boxes were counted and represented fewer fish than were actually caught by NY fishermen. In the end, an accurate count of the fish and the species was not obtained, making it appear as though historic landings in New York were lower. This disadvantages New York fishermen today because catch allocations in the Mid-Atlantic fisheries are based on historic landings, leaving New York with a smaller share of the total allocation. The issues in the northeast groundfishery are equally problematic. New York fishermen contend that the 1996-2006 NMFS data that determines allotments of groundfish is inaccurate and incomplete. Many fishermen have reported multiple errors in landings data and documented by fish returns. By revisiting historic data, the Commerce Department would allow Long Island fishers greater access to populations vital to New York’s commercial fishing industry.
The New England multispecies groundfishery is composed of 19 different stocks of fish that live near the ocean floor. Certain species of groundfish have been come to be known as ‘choke stocks’ because the catch limits for these species are extremely low. Once a fisherman catches his limit of any of his fish quotas of a stock for the year, he must stop fishing or buy more quotas. Under the new system for the groundfishery, once fishermen catch more than their allocation of any one of 19 groundfish species — either intentionally or through bycatch — the entire sector is shut down.
Schumer’s meeting with Locke comes on the heels of a recent meeting, in which he secured a commitment from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco to visit Long Island this summer to meet with local fishers to hear firsthand the economic impact that imprecise and inflexible fishing restrictions is having on the industry. In that meeting Schumer specifically cited recent information that showed NOAA’s early estimates for black sea bass catch in 2009 were overvalued and called for an immediate expansion of the sea bass fishing season in 2010. Administrator Lubchenco committed to taking a hard look at an expansion of the season.
As of 2000, the overall economic contribution of sport and commercial fishing, as well as the seafood industry, pumped an estimated $11.5 billion into New York’s economy. Today, the fishing industry in New York is reeling. The commercial fishing fleet in Greenport at one point numbered more than 30 boats, as of today there are only 2. Montauk’s popular “Viking” fleet of recreational boats is experiencing more than 30% in lose business, tackle and bait shops are on the verge of closing doors, and coastal downtowns are losing ancillary business. Schumer has been a long-time advocate of Long Island’s fishing industry. Recently he introduced legislation that would allow economic impacts considerations to be considered when determining how best to rebuild a fishery.
“Fishing is both an important economic engine and a Long Island tradition that has been passed down for generations, and without relief could become merely a part of the Island’s history,” Schumer said. “The fishing community has made many sacrifices and it’s high time fishing programs are based on accurate data. I am hopeful that when he concludes a review of the accuracy of historical data collection methods in New York, Secretary Locke will raise New York’s catch allocations to more appropriate levels.”