Washington

THE INTERNET (March 21, 2009) – Environmental groups (Alaska Wilderness League, Oceana and World Wildlife Fund) issued the following: Captain Keith Colburn, star of the Discovery Channel hit series Deadliest Catch, will testify before a joint congressional oversight hearing on Tuesday – the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez spill – and urge Congress to protect Alaska’s most productive fisheries from oil exploration.

Each member of the two subcommittees holding the joint hearing will be presented with a jar of rocks collected last month from the shores of Prince William Sound, the site of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. Two decades after the accident, the rocks remain coated in oil. Dr. Jeffrey Short of Oceana, an internationally recognized expert on oil impacts to the ocean, will testify about lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez and the need for a science-based precautionary approach to protect fragile Arctic ecosystems from industrialization.

Read the Financial 24 news story in full

 

GLOUCESTER, MA (March 21, 2009) – Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist whose career path has followed the borders of academe politics, and foundation funding, has been confirmed — quietly, and after a long delay — to head up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The U.S. Senate confirmed the Oregon State University professor late Thursday by unanimous consent. No overt comments — and few pointed questions — were raised.

With an unannounced plan, Lubchenco takes her place as scientist cum laude in a Democratic administration that sees itself engaged in desperate struggle to bring humanity belatedly into a sustainable relationship with the natural world, degraded by human-induced global warming and overfishing, among other smudges.

Read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full

For additional coverage of this story, please see our main Lubchenco package

 

THE INTERNET (March 20, 2009) – Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) have introduced the 2009 version of the Flexibility In Rebuilding American Fisheries Act.  Now, before we all get too excited, bear in mind that essentially the same bill has been introduced and died in committee in both of the last two years.

That said, the bill is cause for some hope because it actually advocates using a bit of common sense and logic along with good science (as opposed to Pew Spew) in regulating our fisheries.

Read the commentary in full, from "The Way You See It" blog

 

 

Jane Lubchenco, the marine biologist confirmed by the U.S. Senate to take control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, helped write a political and policy agenda for the nation based on assumptions of an alarming — and widely disputed — scientific paper.

According to the Gloucester Times, Dr. Lubchenco was part of a working group of "high-profile political and scientific figures" who "helped write a political and policy agenda for the nation based on assumptions of an alarming — and widely disputed — scientific paper." The paper was published in Nature in 2003 by R.A. Myers and B. Worm, and "predicted a collapse of biodiversity and an apocalyptic end to seafood-producing species by 2048 due to ‘overfishing’."

Steve Murawski, director of scientific programs and chief science advisor to the National Marine Fisheries Service described an update of Myers and Worm’s work as "inaccurate and overly pessimistic."

Paul Rago, chief fisheries biologist with NOAA Fisheries at Woods Hole, described the Myers and Worm study "as very controversial. They were taking some trends and extrapolating beyond what many people were comfortable with."

Ray W. Hilborn, an aquatic and fisheries scientist at the University of Washington wrote that Myers and Worm’s projection is "fallacious and inappropriate to appear in a scientific journal."

Read the complete story in the Gloucester Daily Times

If seven New England senators are serious about their pledge to block impending fishing regulations that would be even more draconian than the ones now in place, they need to get busy — fast.

 According to Maine’s U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, Massachusetts’ U.S. Sen. John Kerry is, "doing all he can to fight this rule," with legislation that would block the Interim Rule from taking effect as NMFS wants, but she said that fight won’t be visible because the legislative process, "is by nature a behind-the-scenes process." 

 

According to a spokeswoman for the National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency hopes to have what is called the Interim Rule in place by April 1, in time to be implemented May 1. Yes, it is due to last only a year, when a new regulatory system is expected to take effect, that year could be devastating for the fishing industry not just in Gloucester, but throughout New England.

It would not only cut the number of fishing days in the Gulf of Maine to 20, it would also bar all but hook fishing along the entire southern coast of New England. That would almost certainly force New Bedford fleet — with larger boats and crews than most of Gloucester’s fleet — up off our coast, and pose further hurdles for Gloucester and Rockport fishermen already dealing with heavy-handed NMFS restrictions and enforcement tactics.

 Read the complete opinion piece in the Gloucester Daily Times 

WASHINGTON, DC (March 20, 2009) – U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is again throwing his support behind a bill that calls for more flexible rebuilding timelines for overfished stocks.

The bill, which was authored by U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and introduced Wednesday in the House, aims to ease the economic burden on fishing communities by extending the current 10-year rebuilding period under certain circumstances when there is evidence that the fish stock is on a positive rebuilding trend.

"If we can rebuild a weakened fish species in 13 years instead of 10 in order to soften the economic impact, we ought to be able to do that," Frank, D-Mass., said in a statement.

Read the Standard-Times story in full

Please see our related story:  Congressmen Propose the "Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009"

 

WASHINGTON, DC (March 18, 2009) – A month after seven New England senators pledged to prevent federal fishery regulators from imposing what the senators decried as a potentially industry-killing, year-long regulatory scheme, they have nothing to show for their efforts.

"We aren’t giving up the fight to defeat the agency’s proposed Interim Rule," said Melissa Wagoner, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Yet, the National Marine Fisheries Service is reportedly within days of implementing an Interim Rule that will govern and severely limit commercial fishing in the region for a year beginning May 1.

Read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full

 

On the Lubchenco confirmation… 

Senator John Kerry was reported by his spokeswoman, Brigid O’Rourke to be an enthusiastic supporter of Lubchenco’s nomination. "Jane is an incredibly talented scientist with years of experience that will greatly benefit Massachusetts," Kerry said through O’Rourke. "For decades, she has repeatedly shown thorough her work that the health of our environment doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. "I will work to see that her nomination is confirmed," he said through O’Rourke. O’Rourke added that Kerry has worked closely with Pew on global climate change, as well as the study of religion and democracy and he respects how serious the organization is about the research it does.

Senator Olympia Snowe stated through her press secretary, Julia Wanzco: "Dr. Lubchenco assured me in both our public and private conversations that she would give highest priority to addressing the concerns I have, and New England fishermen have, about the state of our fishing industries — and the relationship between NMFS and the fishing industry," Snowe said. "If Dr. Lubchenco is confirmed, I will certainly continue to work with her and my colleagues in Congress to ensure that our all our laws for fisheries, marine sanctuaries, and other critical ocean programs are carried out as Congress intended, including adequate accounting for the socioeconomic impacts of regulatory actions. And of course, I will hold her to the commitments she made regarding the relationship between NMFS and our fishermen," Snowe continued. 

Senator Edward Kennedy, according to his press secretary Melissa Wagoner, "is still considering the nomination," 

Senators Collins, Reed, Whitehouse and Shaheen either did not return phone calls or declined to express a position.

 

WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2009) – Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey and North Carolina congressmen have introduced the Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009.  The act allows fisheries managers to extend the 10-year rebuilding period for a species if certain common-sense conditions apply.  The Congressmen noted that the 10-year deadline is arbitrary, may have no basis in science, may require stocks to be rebuilt to unprecedented levels, and must be met without regard to the impact it will have on recreational and commercial fishermen, related industries, and the communities whose economic future depends on harvesting the fish.

The text of the Member’s "Dear Colleague" letter in support of the act follows:

March 16, 2009

REBUILD FISHERIES AND PROTECT FISHERMEN

CO-SPONSOR the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009

Current Original Cosponsors: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC), Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),  John Adler (D-NJ)

Dear Colleague:

We believe fishery laws should be designed to promote both healthy fisheries and healthy fishing communities. Unfortunately, current law can sometimes impose unduly strict timelines for rebuilding depleted fisheries.  We have introduced legislation to provide a measure of flexibility in the rebuilding periods in order to help keep fishing communities economically viable, without compromising the ultimate rebuilding goal, and we invite you to join our effort as a cosponsor.

Under the new Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act – passed by Congress in 2006 — when a fishery is identified as overfished, a Regional Fishery Management Council has two years to implement a plan to end overfishing, and, with limited exceptions, to rebuild the stock within 10 years.  The 10-year rebuilding requirement has three exceptions, based on the biology of the fish, environmental conditions, or an agreement between the U.S. and other nations.  Other than those three situations, all overfished fisheries must achieve rebuilt status within 10 years.The problem is the 10-year deadline is arbitrary, may have no basis in science, may require stocks to be rebuilt to unprecedented levels, and must be met without regard to the impact it will have on recreational and commercial fishermen, related industries, and the communities whose economic future depends on harvesting the fish.

We need flexibility so rebuilding can be completed on a responsible timeline that allows stocks to recover without making fishermen extinct.  Specifically, with all overfishing now required to end in two years, adding a few years to a 10-year period in order to allow a more gradual glidepath to rebuilding will help communities without hurting fish.That is why we are planning to introduce the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009. The bill would do nothing to change the existing mandate that overfishing be ended within a year.  However, it would allow fisheries managers to extend the 10-year rebuilding period for a species if certain common-sense conditions apply.  Importantly, this extension authority would not be open ended – it would generally be limited according to a formula that takes into account the reproductive cycle of the fish, and the condition of the fishery.

The exceptions include:

I.      If the biology of the stock of fish, other environmental conditions, or management measures under an international agreement in which the United States participates dictate otherwise (these three are in existing law).

II.      If the Secretary of Commerce determines that such 10-year period should be extended because the cause of the fishery decline is outside the jurisdiction of the Council or the rebuilding program cannot be effective only by limiting fishing activities.

III.      If the Secretary of Commerce determines that such 10-year period should be extended to provide for the sustained participation of fishing communities or to minimize the economic impacts on such communities, provided that there is evidence that the stock of fish is on a positive rebuilding trend.

IV.      If the Secretary of Commerce determines that such 10-year period should be extended for one or more stocks of fish of a multi-species fishery, provided that there is evidence that those stocks are on a positive rebuilding trend.

V.      If the Secretary of Commerce determines that such 10-year period should be extended because of a substantial change to the biomass rebuilding target for the stock of fish concerned after the rebuilding plan has taken effect.

VI.      If the Secretary of Commerce determines that such 10-year period should be extended because the biomass rebuilding target exceeds the highest abundance of the stock of fish in the 25 year period preceding and there is evidence that the stock is on a positive rebuilding trend.

The bill would also strengthen the biomass stock assessments mandated in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.  Specifically, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would have to review factors that may contribute to the overfished status of a stock, such as commercial, residential, and industrial development of, or agricultural activity in, coastal areas and their impact on the marine environment, predator/prey relationships of target and related species, and other environmental and ecological changes to the marine conditions.

Attached is a copy of the legislation. 

If you would like to become a cosponsor or if you have any questions please contact Tim Del Monico (Pallone) attim.delmonico@mail.house.gov or 5-4671.

Sincerely,

FRANK PALLONE, JR.,  Member of Congress                                     

WALTER B. JONES,  Member of Congress

BARNEY FRANK,  Member of Congress                                               

PATRICK KENNEDY,  Member of Congress

FRANK LOBIONDO, Member of Congress

JOHN ADLER, Member of Congress 

 

EXCERPT:  "This legislation is about the survival of an industry that has been central to Massachusetts for centuries – We cannot allow this rule to be implemented."  [Spokesperson for Senator Ted Kennedy]

GLOUCESTER, MA (March 10, 2009) – A coalition of U.S. senators and representatives is trying to legislatively block an impending, stepped-up one-year crackdown on commercial fishing in New England by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The congressional amendment would negate a proposed Interim Rule by NMFS that has been widely — though not universally — analyzed as pushing the industry toward insolvency in the effort to restore the vitality of the 19 mixed stock fishery.

Melissa Wagoner, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, said in an exchange with the Times yesterday that "the agency’s proposed Interim Rule would be catastrophic for our fishermen and the economies of our fishing ports."

Read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full

 

WASHINGTON, DC (March 5, 2009) – Anonymous senators are putting President Barack Obama’s science advisors on ice, reports Congressional Quarterly. White House science advisor John Holdren and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration head Jane Lubchenco await confirmation, following Feb. 12 Senate confirmation hearings. The anonymous "holds" are a Senate prerogative used in the past to delay naming Presidential appointees.

 “It’s infuriating,” Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, Dem., W.Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, told Congressional Quarterly. Overriding the holds by the unnamed senators would require 60 votes.In unrelated federal news, the National Institutes of Health today posted online "Challenge" grant requirements for "jumpstart funds" available to researchers under the recently-passed 2009 stimulus bill. At least $200 million will go to two-year grants to study, "knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods," says a NIH statement.

Read the USA Today science blog in full