WASHINGTON – Dec. 21 (Saving Seafood) – U.S. Fishing industry interests and their supporters on Capitol Hill praised House approval today of the International Fisheries Clarification Act as a boon to Northeast fishing industry by allowing fairer regulation of domestic catch limits in waters shared with Canada.
In the works since 2006, the bill will allow regulators to negotiate higher catch limits with Canada for domestic fisherman under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The result will be better management of certain fish stocks – including Georges Bank yellowtail as well as cod and haddock – that are fished by U.S. and Canadian interests in waters along the Northeastern United States.
Although the bill directly affects only the regulation of groundfish, scallopers are expected to benefit as well. Because they live together on the ocean bottom, it is not generally possible to catch scallops without taking some yellowtail. With less-restrictive maximum catch levels on yellowtail, scallopers will have greater ability to harvest scallops.
The move was championed by a bipartisan team of lawmakers led by Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank and Maine Senator Olympia Snowe. Massachusetts Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown ensured the provision with attachment to a broader bill aimed at ending shark finning in the Pacific Ocean that was co-sponsored in the House by Massachusetts Rep. John Tierney.
Vito Giacalone, policy director of the largest fishing industry group on the East Coast, the Gloucester-based Northeast Seafood Coalition, told Saving Seafood that the move will have a “profoundly positive impact on the industry” from both an economic and conservation standpoint.
“What this will do is create the ability to bilaterally manage the stocks that are on Georges Bank because the stocks are truly transboundary,” said Mr. Giacalone, whose group pushed for the move. “Unless both countries are managing the same way you have the possibility of the two sides managing unilaterally like we used to in the past and possibly creating an overfishing situation.”
Under The Magnuson-Stevens Act, “international agreements” are allowed to include stock rebuilding periods that exceed the 10-year timeline imposed in the United States. Since Canadian law doesn’t impost such a timeline, fishermen from the north have been allowed much higher catch limits than U.S. concerns. The change allows for them to fish on an even regulatory footing.
Rep. Frank called the win good news for the industry at the time when it is, “under siege from arbitrary and unfair restrictions” by allowing the government to act where it was restricted before.
“What might look just technical to some people is much bigger than they realize,” Rep. Frank told Saving Seafood. “When we asked for relief, this was one of those things where they (Commerce Department officials) said we can’t do it because the law won’t allow it.”
“People in the fishing industry … have told me that it’s one of the most important things Congress could do to increase fishermen’s ability to fish and I’m very proud that we were able to accomplish it.”, the Congressman continued. “Achieving something this important in the lame duck session required a great deal of bipartisan effort, with Senator Snowe in the lead on the Republican side. I am confident that the fishing industry in greater New Bedford does not mind that we continue to work so close to Christmas.”
Richie Canastra, an owner of the fish auctions in New Bedford and Boston, said that the changes will mean that U.S. fisherman will have access to more fish that would have otherwise been caught by Canadian competitors.
“What this does with the sharing agreement is that we are no longer being limited two fold,” said Mr. Canastra. “We owe thanks to Senator Snowe and Congressman Frank for drafting this bill and to other members from the Northeast who helped make this happen. It’s going to give us more fish to fish on. If we didn’t fish for them, Canada would be taking them anyway.”
Sen. Snowe echoed the sentiment from industry about the unfair restrictions on U.S. fishermen under the outgoing regulatory regime.
“For too long, our fishery managers have been placed at a competitive disadvantage in negotiating catch limits with their Canadian counterparts because of an erroneous interpretation of the law,” Senator Snowe said in a statement. “I am grateful for the efforts to facilitate passage of this legislation to level the playing field for U.S. negotiators and ultimately for the hard-working members of the New England groundfish industry.”
Sen. Brown noted the job-saving aspect of the move, calling it an “important step.”
“This legislation finally levels the playing field between American and Canadian fishermen, and I’m pleased Congress has taken this action,” Sen. Brown said in a statement. “During this tough economy, we need to create an environment that helps our hardworking fishermen.”
Rep. Tierney also echoed the comments of the other lawmakers who backed the measure.
"For too long the current system has been breeding inequities amongst our respective fishing communities," said Congressman John Tierney. "This legislation is a step in the right direction toward leveling the playing field and strengthening the local fishing economy in Cape Ann and across Massachusetts.”
James Odlin. Owner Atlantic Trawlers Fishing, Inc. and member of the New England Fisheries Management Council, noted that the change has the benefit of not only putting more fish caught by domestic fisherman on the table, it will help save the existing bilateral agreement
“It enabled the U.S.-Canadian agreement to stay in place,” said Mr. Odlin. “ It would have been in jeopardy if we didn’t have this agreement.”
With industry and government backers united in praise of the move, Northeast Seafood Coalition Executive Director Jackie Odell said that the win was a long time coming. She praised the years of effort by Rep. Frank, Sen. Snowe, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and their staff along with that of industry proponents and, more recently, National Marine Fisheries Service officials who have all searched for a way to fix the problem.
“It’s been a good collaborative effort,” Ms. Odell told Saving Seafood. “There is no one person who can take credit for this.”