State and Local

Secretary Ian Bowles issued the following Patrick Administration statement in response to the Inspector General's report on NOAA enforcement and urged NOAA to visit Massachusetts fishing communities as part of its planned public summit in response to the report. BOSTON Jan 21, 2010— Governor Patrick and I are pleased that Dr. Lubchenco sought this report and is taking action to correct NOAA’s enforcement procedures. We have raised concerns at the highest levels about the abuses in enforcement that have now been documented in dramatic fashion by the Inspector General’s report, and the economic and social impact they have had on our struggling fishing industry.  I encourage NOAA to visit Massachusetts fishing communities as part of its planned public summit.

The following notice has been issued by the North Carolina Fisheries Association regarding a planned bus trip to the February 24th fisherman's rally

NCFA is planning a bus trip to Washington DC to participate it the “FIX Magnuson” rally on February 24th  on the steps of the capitol. The plan is to have two buses (more if we need them) one leaving from the Outer Banks area, and one leaving from New Bern on the morning of February 24th.

In order to make arrangements we need to hear from those planning on attending no later than Friday January 29th.

The cost for a seat on the bus will be $60 with limited seating; the buses hold 47 people. If we do not hear from enough people to fill the buses by January 29th, we will make other arrangements for the trip. Please let us know your plans no later than January 29th.

This is a trip to Washington to stand up for our industry and let the elected officials know that  the current system of management is destroying our industry. Fishermen and their families from all over the country are expected to attend and demand that our elected officials “FIX MAGNUSON.”

Event and Bus Information

Date: February 24th

Leaving: Outer Banks (exact location to be announced)

Leaving: New Bern (exact location to be announced)

Time: 5:00 a.m.

Event in Washington 12 noon to 3p.m. Capitol Steps

Bus returning to NC locations shortly after event.

Please call Peggy at NCFA (252-633-2288) to book your seat(s). (reservations may be made using MasterCard or Visa) or e-mail Peggy at: Peggy@ncfish.org

For more information on any item in this update, contact the NCFA office (252) 633-2288.

 

 

 

The feisty and enormously popular striped bass would be off limits to all commercial fishermen in Massachusetts under a proposal being considered by state lawmakers.

The bill would ban the commercial catch of striped bass in state waters and limit recreational fishermen to taking home one striped bass per day — down from two — while imposing new size restrictions.

The proposal to make stripers a "game fish" comes at a time when regulators say the once-rare sport fish is abundant, not overfished and reproducing at a healthy clip. But the bill's backers say the science is off and fear regulators are setting up a population crash by allowing commercial fishermen to pluck out the most productive stripers — large females.

Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.

This op-ed was written in response to an article in the Gloucester Daily Times.

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton – Jan 13, 2010 – Much as I appreciate the Gloucester Times' passion for the fishing industry, I was appalled at their attack on the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's group for purchasing scallop permits.

The problem is that this article is a classic example of mangling facts to try and paint wrongdoing when in fact, what is happening on Cape Cod is similar to what is happening in Gloucester and Maine with very little differences between them.

First the big picture: All over New England, communities and fishing groups are trying to raise funds for permit banks to help stabilize fishing effort in their communities under the new catch share policy. The biggest single actor is Gloucester, where the community has amassed more than $13 million from payments made by the Suez oil and gas company. Rarely is this fact ever alluded to in the Gloucester Times.

In Maine, the state is discussing with NOAA a plan for a $1 million permit bank, which would require that permits be operated by existing sectors. Also, the Port Clyde fishermen's group is raising money for permits.

On Cape Cod, the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association is raising money for permits as well. The Gloucester Times attacks them because they received $500,000 from the Walton family foundation toward this goal, and are raising money from other environmental groups. So far, the Cape Cod group has raised about $2 million towards their $10 million goal, far behind what Gloucester has.

Second, the article conflates two different scallop fisheries: the IFQ fishery, which is limited to open access vessels that have had a 400 lb. per day trip limit, and the days at sea scallop fishery, which is operated primarily out of New Bedford by the commercial scallop fleet.

The IFQ portion of the scallop fishery represents less than 5% of the total allowable catch and has a TAC for 2010 of about 2.2 million lbs. It only applies to those small boats that are by and large not part of the days at sea fleet. The traditional commercial scallop fleet currently has a TAC of over 43 million lbs, but it may be changed.

To make a statement like 'days after federal scallop permits were devalued by the New England Fishery Management Council on the motion of the representative of the Environmental Defense Fund' is complete nonsense. The federal scallop permits apply to 5% of the catch with a trip limit of 400 lbs. per day, divided among hundreds of vessels. No simple quota adjustment on the order of 20% or so will change the value of those permits.

Secondly, the implication here is that there is a nefarious plot to devalue scallop permits and then have environmental groups grab them. The application for a grant by the CCCHF began months before any decision was ever made on scallops. To imply a connection between CCCHFA permit acquisition and the council scallop vote is the worst kind of yellow journalism. It increases the divisiveness in the industry at a time when collective action is sorely needed.

When the writer actually talked to Paul Parker, head of the CCCHF, he said they had not purchased a new scallop permit in three months – totally contradicting the premise of the article. But this had no effect on the narrative.

The fact is that community ownership and banking of permits is one of the only viable strategies that can help preserve traditional fishing communities like Gloucester, like Port Clyde, and like Chatham. Without it, because there are no ownership caps in the current plan, local fishermen will be at the mercy of large operators who have the money to buy up scarce resources.

In different ports, fishing groups have used different strategies to get funding for these permit banks. If Gloucester had not received its oil money windfall, they would be in the same boat as others – scrambling for whatever financial help was forthcoming.

The Gloucester Times should be supporting community permit banking in all its forms, both in Gloucester and elsewhere. The attack on the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's group was an example of the most dangerous type of 'i've got mine – screw you' attitude that has divided New England ports for generations. I was very disappointed to see such a short sighted and false story, that serves more to damage the industry than to help it.

 

Disclosure: John Sackton has been involved with the issue of catch shares for scallops since the late 1990's when new seafood company investments were being made in New Bedford. In 2009 Sackton accepted a contract with the Environmental Defense Fund to provide comments and analysis on the National Catch Share Policy paper put out by NOAA. Sackton has also been involved with ITQ programs in Alaska since 2005, as non-binding price arbitrator for the crab rationalization program (hired by both harvesters and processors), and has worked more than ten years on Canadian snow crab, shrimp and lobster pricing. Since 1994 Sackton has worked with hundreds of seafood companies, government agencies, industry associations and environmental groups providing seafood industry market analysis and research, in addition to his founding and editing of Seafood.com News.' 

 

 

Fishing for scallops 45 miles east of Atlantic City in January was brutally cold, but Sea Quest Capt. Jim Clarke had more on his mind than the weather.

Clarke’s problem is a new management plan that would slash catches by about 25 percent in the next fishing season, which begins March 1 and runs through February 2011.

From North Carolina to Maine, commercial fishermen have been protesting the proposed cutback, banding together under a group called the Fisheries Survival Fund. The group, which represents scallop fishermen, has been fighting the proposed cut since November. Just this week, the group achieved a measure of success when the New England Fishery Management Council agreed to revisit the issue.

Scallops were the top species landed in New Jersey in 2008 with 13.3 million pounds harvested, worth $91.5 million.

Peter Hughes, operations manager at Atlantic Capes Fisheries in Lower Township, sits on the council’s Scallop Advisory Panel and will push for higher catches. 

Hughes said a 25 percent cut would lead to idling one quarter of the work force. He said industries that supply the scallop fleet, such as fuel dealers and marine equipment companies, will face similar cuts.

“It just has this huge ripple effect through the industry,” said Hughes, adding: “Why are we laying off people when we’re trying to stimulate the economy?”

Read the complete story at The Press of Atlantic City.

The Working Waterfront Festival is pleased to announce the publication of Voices from the Waterfront: Portrait of the New Bedford Fishing Industry.

The 80-page book is based on interviews conducted over a five year period with 43 individuals from the New Bedford/Fairhaven fishing community. Their voices provide a rare first hand accounting of life and work in the port.

Those interviewed include retired and active fishermen, lumpers, auctioneers, shoreside business owners, fisheries scientists, a tug boat captain, fishing family members and others. Oral history excerpts are accompanied by black and white portraits taken by photographer Markham Starr.

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today.

The text of the press release for the launch event on Thursday, January 14th at the Whaling Museum follows… 

 

WORKING WATERFRONT FESTIVAL PUBLISHES BOOK Voices from the Waterfront: Portrait of the New Bedford Fishing Industry

New Bedford, MA, January 4, 2010—The Working Waterfront Festival is pleased to announce the publication of Voices from the Waterfront: Portrait of the New Bedford Fishing Industry.

The 80-page book is based on interviews conducted over a five year period with 43 individuals from the New Bedford/Fairhaven fishing community. Their voices provide a rare first hand accounting of life and work in the port. Those interviewed include retired and active fishermen, lumpers, auctioneers, shoreside business owners, fisheries scientists, a tug boat captain, fishing family members and others. Oral history excerpts are accompanied by black and white portraits taken by photographer Markham Starr.

A reception to celebrate the release of the book will take place at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Thursday, January 14th at 6:30 PM in conjunction with AHA which has as its theme “Collective Memory: Stories About Growing Up and Living New Bedford”.    The reception is free and open to the public. Photographer Mark Starr and Co-editors Kirsten Bendiksen and Laura Orleans will be on hand to talk about creating the book which will be available for purchase.

The Working Waterfront Festival is an annual educational celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place on the New Bedford waterfront on the fourth full weekend of September. The event was established in 2004 with a threefold mission: to celebrate the commercial fishing industry, to document the culture of the working waterfront and to educate the public about that culture through programming which presents, interprets and explores its’ many facets. In addition to producing the annual festival, project staff present a variety of public programs, develop curriculum materials, offer school-based and out of school programs for youth including a summer camp, provide professional development for teachers and conduct oral history interviews with members of the working waterfront community.

Gov. Deval Patrick expressed what he called serious concerns Sunday about the new restrictions on scallop harvesting at a Statehouse meeting with John Pappalardo, chairman of the New England Fishery Management Council, and urged reconsideration of the cutbacks.

In a statement, Patrick is described as being disappointed that the matter is not on the council's Jan. 26 agenda and is urging fishery managers to reconsider because of questions surrounding the science behind the decision.

"The governor will continue to press this issue at all levels and is exploring other options to get this decision reversed," governor spokeswoman Kimberly Haberlin said.

Pappalardo could not be reached Sunday night for comment. 

The meeting between Patrick and Pappalardo follows a session Friday in New Bedford between Mayor Scott W. Lang, fishing industry representatives, Patrick, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and Bowles during a visit by the governor and his cabinet.

Lang, while pleased with Patrick's expression of his concerns, said Sunday he urged reconsideration when he and Pappalardo spoke Thursday night.

However, the mayor said Pappalardo declined to reconsider the matter, feeling it would be "inappropriate" since the council had already voted on the matter and he did not want to set a precedent.

He said he told Pappalardo that the decision, unless it is reversed, will have "a disastrous impact on the people of New Bedford and the fishing industry."

He called the meeting between Patrick and Pappalardo "a step in the right direction," but also vowed to continue to press the issue.

Haberlin said the Sunday meeting lasted nearly an hour and was also attended by state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles.

Bowles is on record as supporting a reversal of the decision. In a letter to Pappalardo, Bowles said the decision is not based on the best available science and the restrictions would have "dire and unnecessary economic impacts on communities that are already severely stressed."

Read the complete story at the Standard-Times' South Coast Today  

Gov. Deval Patrick has joined the push to have cuts in this year's scallop fishing limits — projected in a new scientific study to cost boats 25 percent of revenues — be up for reconsideration by the federal fishery policy-making council at its upcoming meeting.

Patrick called but did not immediately reach John Pappalardo, chairman of the New England Fisheries Management Council, last Friday after a meeting in New Bedford, the scallop capital of the nation, with industry leaders and U.S. Rep. Barney Frank.

However, the two men did speak later in the weekend. From the conversation, a private meeting was set for late Sunday in the governor's Statehouse office, according to governor's spokeswoman Kimberly Haberlin.

Efforts by the Times to reach Pappalardo, who is employed by the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association, were unsuccessful. 

 

 

After his private Friday meeting with the governor, Congressman Barney Frank told the Times he believed Pappalardo should resign or be fired for refusing the governor's request to have the January meeting of the council rethink its decision to scale back scalloping.

"I'm appalled that Pappalardo didn't put (scallops) on the agenda," Frank told the Times. "I told the governor it was outrageous. The governor was unpleasantly surprised.

"If he doesn't (agree to reconsideration), he (Pappalardo) should resign," Frank added.

[n.b. Congressman Frank expressed the same sentiment to Saving Seafood on Friday.]

The scientific study predicting losses in boat revenues from the action was done by Daniel Georgianna, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology.

Research by the same school a decade ago upended government findings that the scallop stock was weakened and required strict catch controls.

Georgianna noted in his study that catches were controlled in the special zones noted for the concentration of scallops but in the rest of the waters along the East Coast was were catches were higher than expected. Georgianna said that result suggested that the stock was even healthier than expected.

"As closed area trips have fixed trip limits," he wrote, "the overages of landings were due to much higher than predicted landings per day in the open areas." So, he concluded, "the excess of actual over-predicted landings may indicate reasons for increasing catch limits."

In an October letter to Lubchenco, Frank wondered why certain waters had been kept closed to scallop boats even after scientific evidence that scallops there were dying of old age.

 

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's office issued the following statement regarding a  meeting on Sunday between Gov. Patrick and John Pappalardo, chairman of the New England Fisheries Management Council.

Governor Patrick met with John Pappalardo in his State House office "to express his serious concerns about the cutbacks affecting the scallop fishing fleet. Given the questions about the science underlying these cutbacks, the Governor is disappointed that this matter is not on the Council's upcoming agenda and is urging the Council to reconsider. The Governor will continue to press this issue at all levels and is exploring other options to get this decision reversed."

 

As the groundfishery approaches its partial transformation to a catch share economic system based on hard catch limits, permit banks are forming to buy and broker rights to the shares of the harvest.

These shares' value are largely determined by the size of the total catch limits — issues that remain heatedly debated by industry interests and the New England Fishery Management Council.

Far ahead of the curve is Gloucester, which has the region's bank of unmatched capitalization, nearly $13 million, while a Cape Cod group is gaining ground and has set a goal of $10 million in permits.

In Maine, the state itself is in the process of forming a permit bank, while a small organization, the Penobscot East Resource Center is also organizing a permit bank in concert with the non-governmental organization, the Ocean Conservancy.

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.