BOSTON, MA (December 10, 2008) — A federal judge has heard arguments in a fight over groundfishing regulations.
Massachusetts and New Hampshire filed a joint lawsuit against the federal government in 2006, opposing new laws aimed at protecting fish stock by limiting the number of days fishermen are allowed at sea.
The states argue the regulations will hurt fishermen financially and could lead to overfishing in other areas.
Read the Associated Press story in full
BOSTON, MA (December 9, 2008) — Attorneys representing Massachusetts and New Hampshire argued Monday in federal district court that fishing regulations, which have devastated the inshore groundfishing industry in both states since going into effect two years ago, should be abandoned and sent back to regulators.
Senior Judge Edward F. Harrington heard arguments from the states, which are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and the defendants, which include the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service. No ruling was made during the hearing.
The rules in question were adopted in November 2006 in an attempt to speed rebuilding efforts on six depleted groundfish stocks, including Gulf of Maine cod and Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder. The rules aimed to reduce fishing of depleted stocks by charging fishermen who trawl the inshore areas of the Gulf of Maine two of their allotted fishing days for every day fished, effectively cutting their fishing season in half.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
NEW BEDFORD, MA (January 21, 2009) – The proposal of interim fishing regulations that could paralyze the local groundfishing fleet has prompted the city of New Bedford to investigate whether it can join a lawsuit pending before a federal judge, according to Mayor Scott W. Lang.
"We are going to ask permission of the court to amend the lawsuit," the mayor told The Standard-Times. "We will bring the latest (regulations) to him and try to make the city a party."
If it is too late to do so, he said the city would consider filing its own lawsuit against federal fishing regulators.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
CAPE COD, MA (January 26, 2009) – Four days before President Barack Obama took his oath of office, the Bush administration announced what some environmentalists would consider a death sentence for Georges Bank, one of the world’s richest fishing grounds.
On Jan. 16, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service released a draft report that proposed offering oil and gas leases in offshore areas from Canada to Alaska. These included some areas, including the submerged plateau east of Cape Cod known as Georges Bank, that were formerly closed under congressional and presidential restrictions. Those restrictions were lifted after President Bush ended a presidential ban on drilling in July and the Senate failed to renew a congressional moratorium that lapsed in October.
The northern Atlantic region, from New Jersey to Canada, had been under annual congressional drilling moratoriums since 1983 and presidential restrictions since 1990. Although the House of Representatives did pass a new moratorium last fall by a wide margin, the Senate did not have time to vote on a similar bill.
Read the SouthCoastToday.com story in full
BRISTOL, RI (January 21, 2009) – Bob Haines remembers not so long ago when his dragger spent 302 days or more a year at sea in pursuit of fish.
By last year, federal fishing restrictions dictated that the 87-foot Seel could only venture out 81 days.
“And now it looks like they are going to take away another 16 days,” said Mr. Haines, who co-owns the New Bedford-based Seel and the 93-foot dragger/scalloper Tropical with fellow Westport resident Toby Lees.
Read the EastBayRI story in full
CHATHAM, MA (January 22, 2009) — Federal regulators have announced a set of interim rules governing the commercial groundfish fishery which critics say could seriously undercut the industry without adequately addressing the problem of overfishing.
The draft rules proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would take effect May 1, and govern commercially important species like cod, haddock and flounder. They are designed to govern the fishery until the New England Fishery Management Council finalizes its next major revision to the fishery management plan, known as Amendment 16.
Under the draft interim rules, regulators would expand the area of the Gulf of Maine where each day fished is counted as two days; there would also be a prohibition on keeping ocean pout, northern windowpane and southern New England winter flounder. Gillnetters and trawlers would be prohibited from an area of southern New England waters to further protect winter flounder. The reduction in days-at-sea already scheduled to go into place May 1 would also be retained.
Read The Cape Cod Chronicle story in full
WASHINGTON, DC (January, 16, 2009) – Legislation authored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) to focus research on rising ocean acidity passed the Senate yesterday. Ocean acidification harms marine life and poses serious risks to the fishing industry.
“Ocean acidification is a serious threat to our environment and to our marine life,” said Sen. Lautenberg. “Changes in ocean chemistry, caused by greenhouse gases, will affect our food supply and the health of our oceans. But research on ocean acidification is still in its infancy. My legislation would provide the needed research to analyze and address the environmental and economic impacts of ocean acidification.”
Increased carbon dioxide emissions are causing oceans to become more acidic. Ocean acidity has increased 30 percent in the last 100 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA also projects that, by the end of this century, current levels of carbon dioxide emissions would result in the lowest levels of ocean pH in 20 million years.
SALEM, MA (January 18, 2009) – It is time for the fishing, scientific and political communities to join forces and stand up to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which has now reached the point where it could more accurately be called the Eliminate-the-Marine-Fisheries Service.
That will be the likely result if its power remains unchecked.
Every other industry, it seems, is in line for a federal bailout. But Massachusetts fishermen are in line for a wipeout.
Read the Salem News story in full
NEW BEDFORD, MA (January 15, 2009) – Fishermen and conservationistsappear equally outraged by a proposed rule that would severely cut theamount of groundfishing allowed during the 2009 season.
The interim proposal, announced Wednesday by federal fishing regulators, is an effort to reduce overfishing and meet rebuilding guidelines for diminished stocks. Local fishing representatives argue that the measures will force small-scale fishermen out of the industry with an 18 percent reduction in already-limited fishing days and a counting scheme that will charge them two days for each day fished in Southern New England waters and a vast portion of the Gulf of Maine. Additional measures include the closure of certain fishing grounds in Southern New England and a ban on the landing of three fish stocks: ocean pout, northern windowpane and Southern New England winter flounder. Read the SouthCoastToday.com story in full
NEW BEDFORD, MA (January 15, 2009) – Local fishermen contend that groundfishing regulations have become so restrictive that the only people who can survive are those who also own scallop fishing permits.
New Bedford boat owner Carlos Rafael says he has been losing money on his 23 draggers for the past three to four years due to regulations that have slashed the number of days fishermen can trawl for groundfish. If not for the revenue generated by his 13 scallopers, Mr. Rafael would have sold his groundfishing permits a long time ago. Read the SouthCoastToday.com story in full