Opinion

Five weeks after Gov. Deval Patrick asked Commerce Secretary Gary Locke for emergency increases in groundfish catch limits, the man who stands between northeastern fishing families and economic survival remains silent. Unless he acts without delay, more fishermen will lose their livelihoods. Scientific data support a higher catch; it is possible and necessary, without endangering fish stocks.

We call on Locke to respond to Patrick's plea, and the request of the congressional delegation, and issue emergency regulations immediately that will raise the limits on "choke" stocks, species whose ultra-low catch limits prevent fishermen from returning to sea.

Since the new catch-share system went into effect May 1, it has nearly bankrupted many fishermen, especially the small owner-operators. If they can't go fishing, they can't feed their families or bring fish to the retail market — all because of regulations setting the catch at the lowest end of a range of acceptable numbers supported by scientific research.

Two-thirds of New Bedford's fishing boats are tied up at the dock, according to data Mayor Scott W. Lang plans to release today. About 35 boats have caught and been allocated 80 percent of the catch, Lang said, while some 140 boats share the rest. That means they're fishing very little or staying home.

Moreover, with so many vessels staying in port, shore-side businesses that offer fuel, equipment, repairs and other services are hurting. If they close their doors, the infrastructure a commercial fishing fleet needs will be gone. The industry will be at even greater risk of collapse.

Back in October, Locke acknowledged that the Magnuson-Stevens Act gives him the authority to issue emergency regulations to raise catch limits, but so far, he has not chosen to use that authority.

When Patrick made his case to Locke last month, he included a report, "Economic and Scientific Conditions in the Massachusetts Multispecies Groundfishery," overseen by scientists at the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries and the School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass Dartmouth. The report argues for raising catch limits by 30 percent for most groundfish species, more for others.

Then, Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown, along with Congressmen Barney Frank, Bill Delahunt and John Tierney, wrote to Locke, calling the situation an "economic emergency" and endorsing Patrick's argument that regulators could raise catch limits "to higher levels that remains consistent with conservation requirements."

The science supports it.

Fishermen and their communities need it.

We urge Locke to raise catch limits on choke species immediately.

 

Read the editorial in the Standard-Times

…the conservation and environmental community errs on the side of being unduly alarmist and apocalyptic in interpreting the data we have, to the detriment of being solution-oriented. Nowhere was this more apparent to me than when I worked for NOAA’s fisheries division…

I have been quantitatively analyzing environmental data for 30 years in a wide variety of arenas (biotechnology, endangered species, agriculture, fisheries, etc). I am sad to report that, on average, the conservation and environmental community errs on the side of being unduly alarmist and apocalyptic in interpreting the data we have, to the detriment of being solution-oriented.

Nowhere was this more apparent to me than when I worked for NOAA’s fisheries division and got to learn up close how committed and rigorous NOAA’s scientists were about finding ways to protect the nation’s fisheries. Yes, there is coastal degradation in the United States and there are fisheries that have collapsed. But there are also well-managed fisheries — something you almost never hear about. And it is these success stories that can tell us what we need to do to reverse our failures.

I am no Pollyanna — the public’s growing disconnect from climate issues troubles me deeply. But when scientists analyze and extrapolate data using methods that are open to debate and then firmly conclude with statements such as, “Our analyses suggest that business-as-usual would foreshadow serious threats to global food security, coastal water quality, and ecosystem stability, affecting current and future generations,” I wonder what is being accomplished? Have we not learned that scaring people paralyzes them instead of motivating them to act?

For The Conservancy’s science magazine, Science Chronicles, the world renowned fisheries biologist Ray Hilborn just wrote a fascinating essay examining the doom-and-gloom rhetoric surrounding the state of marine fisheries. For sure, there is another side to the story, and there are scientists who would disagree with Hilborn. But it is important that the conservation community and the public learn to think skeptically about messages of a forthcoming apocalypse as well as about messages of “everything is wonderful.” Our marine fisheries are too important to the world’s economy and food supply to waste energy on emotional rhetoric — our oceans demand cool-headed analyses and data-based solutions that work. Ray’s essay (reprinted below) about why all the world’s fisheries are not collapsing is a good place to start.

Read Dr. Kareiva's blogpost and Dr. Hilborn's essay "Apocalypse forestalled: Why all the world’s fisheries aren’t collapsing"

 

 

 

By suggesting that reductions in total allowable catch of bluefin tuna are warranted in both the eastern and western Atlantic, NOAA is effectively selling out U.S. fishermen who for years have adhered to strict catch limits and conservation measures now proven to have boosted the health of the bluefin population.

Our fishermen operate under the strictest management regime in the world, and their sacrifices are largely responsible for the optimism found in the most recent scientific assessment for western Atlantic bluefin. The U.S. fishery lacks the rampant overharvest, underreporting, and tuna ranching operations that have led to such a dramatic decline in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. To suggest our fishermen should be punished for their actions to rebuild and sustain this vital species is uncalled for and inappropriate.

The question the U.S. delegation should be asking itself now is whether we want to incentivize or punish good behavior on the part of ICCAT members. We must allow science to dictate management measures, and in this case, the data is clear: There is room for an increase in the catch limit for western bluefin, yet we must push for further restrictions on catch limits in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. U.S. fishermen have already sacrificed a portion of their livelihood today for a sustainable future tomorrow. Eastern Atlantic fishermen have not made those concessions, and the time has come for them to accept long overdue catch restrictions.

Read Senator Snowe's complete remarks at Fosters.

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of people believe that the real point of the new fishing regulations is less about ensuring sustainable fish stocks than it is about driving people out of the business.

And given the industry's past failures to speak with one voice, regulators and environmentalists aligned on the side of tighter catch limits on most species have been able to have their way for many years.

To date, regulators with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continue to defend the new system, saying that it will provide higher prices and more safety for commercial fishermen.

However, assurances do not reflect conditions at the dock or even in the retail fish markets, where fish from China and Alaska sell cheaper and in greater abundance than do fish taken from our own offshore waters.

What is needed immediately is a top-to-bottom analysis of how the new catch-share system is working.

If the goal is to drive half of the fishermen out of business, then the program appears to be working splendidly.

Read the complete editorial from The Standard-Times.

 

 

 

 

 

The easing of fishing pressure prompted by the oil spill shows that sound management practices that prudently limit fishing seasons, daily catch limits and so forth are critical.

There are many lessons to be learned from the Gulf oil spill, but one that was largely unexpected is surfacing in recent studies of the populations of marine creatures. Although concerns remain about the long-term impact of the spill, it has become clear that the months that most of the Gulf was closed to fishing produced an extraordinary recovery of fish and shrimp populations.

Scientists interviewed by the Press-Register of Mobile note that the results of the reduced fishing pressure show the astounding resilience of the ecosystem. It almost works too well, they said, because the growth in marine life populations may make it hard to gauge the full scale of the negative effects of the spill.

Read the complete editorial from the Montgomery Advertiser.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In some ways, the letter by New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang to federal Inspector General Todd Zinser, calling for an independent federal investigation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's overall process for setting policies and fishing allocation limits, may seem a bit redundant.

After all, the cities of New Bedford and Gloucester have already joined a federal lawsuit challenging Amendment 16, the regulatory framework that includes NOAA chief Jane Lubchenco's beloved catch share management system. And Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has vowed to grant emergency allocation hikes if states and communities like Gloucester and New Bedford can document the need and viability for doing so.

But Lang's letter — backed by Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk — is indeed an important step forward. It pulls together the multiple issues at the core of this embattled agency and system.

In his message, Lang targets not only the tight allocations and the issues raised by NOAA enforcement, already the target of a scathing report from Zinser's office outlining a wide variety of enforcement excesses and abuses.

Read the complete editorial from The Gloucester Daily Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is now clear beyond doubt that, when President Obama talks about creating or saving jobs, he's sure not talking about the fishing industry.

It's clear that when he talks about the nation's economic recovery he's either ignoring or laughing at fishing communities such as Gloucester, New Bedford and so many others whose economy depends on the ability of fishermen to work and harvest the resources of the sea.

His choice to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Jane Lubchenco, has demonstrated since her 2009 appointment that she is committed to "consolidating" the fleets, a clever phrase for eliminating fishermen's and other waterfront jobs, and driving many small, independent businesses into bankruptcy and, really, right out of their work and way of life.

And just to show their true contempt for these American workers and their families, just to affirm their arrogance — just to literally laugh in the face of voters, especially in Massachusetts — Lubchenco and her NOAA colleagues, now with clear White House approval, firmly stamped their commitment to a national catch share management policy just two days after the general elections.

Read the complete editorial from The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA announced a new commercial fisheries policy: Catch shares for everyone. The idea is to relieve the pressure they’re currently under to catch more fish faster, which many current fishery management plans inadvertently reward.

Proponents of catch share programs, including Environmental Defense Fund, say they reduce overfishing, improve fishermen’s safety and profits, and reduce the negative environmental and economic effects of the race for fish.

The catch share idea isn’t new – there are 14 U.S. fisheries being managed this way already – but building a national policy around it is. NOAA chief Jane Lubchenco has been paying lip service to the idea for awhile now, as the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery gets its catch-share program underway.

Read the complete piece from Ecotrope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – Cod, haddock and flounder have long been staples of the New England diet. Yet over the past decade, landings of these fish — which along with hake, halibut, pollock, and others are collectively referred to as "groundfish" — have declined as fishermen were forced to take deeper cuts to catch limits in an attempt to rebuild depleted fish stocks.

Recent indications in this fishery have been more promising as some fish populations have rebounded to near unprecedented levels, yet catch limits for other species remain low enough to threaten the viability of this historic industry.

The limitations imposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS, do not always paint an accurate picture of the abundance of the fish stocks in a given year, forcing the industry to work around federal restrictions which often seem arbitrary.

Delving into complex data to develop accurate, justifiable stock assessments is a time-consuming process, so when scientists announce their recommendations, their data are often years out of date and still contain a significant amount of ambiguity.

Read the Senator's opinion piece here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sat across a conference table from the Secretary of Commerce, looked him in the eye, and explained how twelve years ago, NOAA Enforcement destroyed my career, took away my livelihood, and put my wife and family through hell.  I was able to seek redress directly from a member of the President’s cabinet because of Barney Frank.

I’m a Massachusetts kid.  I grew up in Westport Point. I started lobstering as a 12-year-old. I always wanted to be a fisherman. By 1967, I was a commercial fisherman in New Bedford. I worked my way up from apprentice deckhand to engineer to captain. I moved to scalloping in 1975 with a small boat, bought a large boat in 1978, and a larger boat in 1985.  I had achieved my life’s dream.

That dream was shattered in 1998. I was one of the many victims of overzealous enforcement by NOAA. My case was prosecuted by Charles Juliand, the attorney recently removed from his enforcement duties in the wake of the abuses uncovered by the Inspector General.

I settled my case, even though I believed I was right, because my attorney advised me that it was nearly impossible to win — even when the facts were on your side. Those of us targeted by corrupt enforcement knew we’d been wronged.  But the deck was stacked.
NOAA forced me to give up my permits. No longer able to work in the industry I love, I moved my family to Florida’s west coast, where I use my U.S. Merchant Mariner master’s license to operate passenger vessels.

Last month, I travelled to Washington with colleagues from the fishing industry. I was able to do something that I never dreamed could happen. I sat across a conference table from the Secretary of Commerce, looked him in the eye, and explained how twelve years ago, the agency now in his portfolio destroyed my career, took away my livelihood, and put my wife and family through hell.

The secretary listened. He acknowledged that there are many stories like mine.  And then, something else I never dreamed could happen, did happen. The secretary said he was starting a process so that cases like mine could be reviewed and reopened.
I was able to seek redress directly from a member of the President’s cabinet because of the leadership and tenacious efforts of Congressman Barney Frank.

This is not the first time I’ve witnessed Congressman Frank’s work for his constituents.

In 1994, Marjorie Orman and five scallop captains — including myself — started the Fisherman’s Survival Fund to fight for scallopers. Thanks to Congressman Frank, we retained Washington attorney David Frulla, who for 15 years has worked to ensure that the Federal Government does not trample upon the rights of scallopers.

Thanks to Congressman Frank, we were able to get help from Dr. Brian Rothschild and the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology. (SMAST). Today, the work of SMAST in developing ocean bottom surveys is legendary.  Their top-quality science saved the scallop industry and returned New Bedford to its place as the most profitable seaport in the country.

Congressman Frank championed the Massachusetts Fishing Partnership Health Plan, which provides health insurance for fishing families and has become a model for covering the 
working uninsured.

In the past two years, Congressman Frank has been at the forefront of the effort to stop the abuses perpetrated on fishermen by NOAA’s out-of-control enforcement arm.

For the past year, Congressman Frank has worked to overcome a NOAA Administrator appointed by his own party who has ignored the economic concerns of coastal communities.

He organized a Congressional fisheries caucus with members from North Carolina to Maine to forge one of the few successful bipartisan coalitions in Congress.

He obtained a pledge from the Secretary of Commerce to look at economic and scientific data from scholars who fisherman can trust to make a determination on emergency actions to help the industry.

We fishermen have sometimes been our own worst enemy. When confronted with industry-threatening issues, we have allowed old gripes and grudges to surface. Over and over, Congressman Frank has been there to provide leadership that has helped us rise above the bickering.

Many of us were attracted to fishing because we have fiercely independent personalities. Fierce independence and political liberalism don’t always go hand in hand. There have been times when many of us have not agreed with Barney on national issues. But then again sometimes we don’t agree with our own wives, kids, and best friends.

Barney has been one of the best friends this industry has ever had.

Friendships forged over decades, and fortified by example after example of trust and good deeds deserve loyalty.

If anyone deserves our loyalty it’s Congressman Frank. The fishing industry needs his intelligence, experience, and tenacity to continue represent us in Washington.