U.S. Sen. John Kerry announced this morning that the Department of Commerce agreed to the bipartisan request from members of Congress, four New England Governors and many other elected officials for a declaration of a commercial fishery failure in the Northeast groundfish fishery for 2013.
September 13, 2012 — The declaration was made official later this morning by Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank.
Senator Kerry said the $100 million disaster relief bill is scheduled to appear before the Senate later this year during the upcoming lame-duck session.
In a conference call with members of the press, Kerry explained that the bill, which is currently planned to be one part of a larger emergency assistance bill aiding drought-stricken parts of the Midwest, will go to direct disaster assistance for regional fishermen and communities. Some of the funds will also be allocated to address "long-term" issues in the fishery, including funding for monitoring costs and improvement of stock assessments.
"We put billions into the heartland of the country for farmers," Kerry said. "These guys are farmers. They farm, they farm from the ocean instead of the land. They are people who depend on the weather, depend on crop, they depend on the stock, and they are affected by what happens in an ecosystem just as farmers are."
Listen to an excerpt from Senator Kerry's announcement.
The declaration is the end of a multi-year effort by New England elected officials to get a disaster declaration from the Commerce Department, after several poor stock assessments and the transition to the new form of sector management. Kerry says that while the fight to secure the funding is not finished, "we're a huge leap down the road" in getting disaster aid.
The official statement from NOAA follows:
Secretary of Commerce declares disaster in Northeast Groundfish Fishery
Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank today declared a commercial fishery failure in the Northeast groundfish fishery for the 2013 fishing season. Despite fishermen's adherence to catch limits, several key fish stocks are not rebuilding, resulting in the expectation that further cuts to catch limits may be necessary in the 2013 fishing season, which begins May 1, 2013.
The disaster declaration makes it possible for Congress to appropriate money toward alleviating the financial hardship to fishermen caused by the fishery disaster. If money is appropriated, NOAA will work closely with Congress and the Governors representing the affected states to develop plans to assist coastal communities.
"Fishermen in the Northeast are facing financial hardships because of the unexpectedly slow rebuilding of fish stocks that have limited their ability to catch enough to make ends meet," said Acting Secretary Blank. "The Department of Commerce has determined that the diminished fish stocks have resulted despite fishermen's adherence to catch limits intended to rebuild the stocks, and I am making a fishery failure declaration so that Congress is able to appropriate funding that will mitigate some of the economic consequences of the reduced stocks and help build a sustainable fishery. The future challenges facing the men and women in this industry and the shore-based businesses that support them are daunting, and we want to do everything we can to help them through these difficult times."
Acting Secretary Blank is declaring the commercial fishery failure under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and Section 308(b) of the Interjursdictional Fisheries Act. The declaration was requested and supported by elected officials in the region. This announcement supersedes earlier requests for disaster declarations made by several northeast states.
For the past several months, NOAA and the New England Fishery Management Council have engaged the fishing industry and others in discussions to develop actions that can be taken given the anticipated low quotas for some key stocks in the groundfish fishery. However, it is unlikely that the economic impacts can be fully mitigated in the coming fishing year, which begins May 1. The work that NOAA has been doing with northeast states, including an in-depth look at impacts to specific industry segments provided by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, will be useful in developing spending plans to assist coastal communities should Congress appropriate the funding that today's declaration authorizes.
"Fishing is the lifeblood of many coastal communities, providing jobs, a continuation of an historic tradition and culture, recreational opportunities for millions of anglers, and contributing to food security for the nation," said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA administrator. "Finding solutions will not be easy, but by continuing to work together, we can have healthy fish stocks, profitable fisheries, and vibrant fishing communities."
The following was released by the office of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick:
Patrick-Murray Administration Secures Federal Disaster Declaration for Massachusetts Fishermen
The Patrick-Murray Administration today announced that United States Department of Commerce Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank has granted the Commonwealth's longstanding request for a federal disaster declaration for Massachusetts ground fishermen.
"For years I have engaged federal officials on the importance of providing a disaster declaration for our fishermen and fishing communities, who have been struggling due to the transition to catch shares and declining groundfish stocks. I am extremely pleased that today, the Department of Commerce has taken an important first step to validate my request for a disaster declaration," said Governor Deval Patrick. "This declaration is more critical than ever as coastal communities brace for possible additional cuts to the region's groundfishery next year. I want to give special thanks to the leadership of President Obama, and I stand ready to work with my fellow Northeast governors and Congressional leaders to ensure our fishermen receive the financial assistance they desperately need to sustain this vital industry."
Anticipating the federal disaster declaration, Governor Patrick, partnering with other coastal New England governors, submitted a letter this week to Senate and House leadership, asking for their support in securing $100 million in disaster funding for New England's fishermen.
"Governor Patrick has vigorously advocated for the Massachusetts fishing industry, an important piece of the Commonwealth's economic vitality and heritage," said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan. "Today's announcement is a significant step forward for fishermen trying to survive the transition to catch shares and lower catch levels, and we look forward to working with Senator John Kerry and the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to secure federal assistance for fishermen."
Governor Patrick first made a request to the Department of Commerce in November 2010, asking for direct economic relief to the Massachusetts groundfish fleet for the impact caused by the transition to the catch shares system. In November 2011, Governor Patrick renewed his request for federal aid after being denied in January of that year.
To support this new request, federal officials were provided a comprehensive report, Comparative Economic Survey and Analysis of Northeast Fishery Sector 10, from the Department of Fish and Game's Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) that detailed losses in specific fishery sectors along the Commonwealth's coastline. The in-depth analysis of Sector 10, comprised mostly of small boats fishing from the South Shore, documented a significant 61 percent decline in groundfish landings between 2009 and 2010 under catch shares.
This decline in landings has resulted in a 52 percent drop in groundfish revenue by 27 small business owners. Furthermore, the Sector 10 Analysis shows 30 percent of permit holders have lost at least 80 percent of their groundfish revenue.
A second report, the Break-Even Analysis of the New England Groundfish Fishery for FY2009 and FY2010, was also provided to federal officials, confirming that the Massachusetts groundfish fleet has experienced a significant 24 percent decline between 2009 and 2010.
The analysis was the result of a collaborative effort between DMF, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology to further define economic impacts previously documented in the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute (MFI) Report to the Department of Commerce.
"We are very pleased that the Obama Administration is issuing this disaster declaration," said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Mary Griffin. "This is the right decision in support of our fishermen and coastal communities."
"We appreciate that President Obama and his Administration utilized the important analysis and reports conducted by the Division of Marine Fisheries and the Marine Fisheries Institute to inform their disaster determination," said DMF Director Paul Diodati
Once disaster assistance is appropriated, the Commonwealth will conduct a thorough public process to engage fishermen and other stakeholders on developing spending plans that will ensure the ground fishing industry continues to be sustainable for future generations.