WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) November 15, 2012 — Yesterday, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), meeting in Newport, RI, passed two motions related to Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder issues that had been surrounded by controversy.
The NEFMC accepted the high end of the range presented by their Scientific and Statistical Committee for the 2013 catch limit for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. The upper bound of the range provided by the SSC — 1,150 metric tons — is the same as the current year, and more than twice the amount approved in conjunction with Canada under a bilateral agreement. The US-Canada Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) recommended a total 500 metric ton yellowtail quota for the 2013 fishing year. This 500 metric ton quota would be split between the U.S. and Canada, resulting in allocations of 215 and 285 metric tons, respectively. This would be a 57% reduction from 2012, when the quota was 1,150 metric tons, and an 81% reduction from 2011, when the total quota was 2,650 metric tons.
The TMGC set its limit based on their Transboundary Resource Assessment Committee (TRAC) yellowtail assessment, but, there is a widespread lack of confidence TRAC assessment from industry and many scientists. The limit agreed to by the NEFMC would set the US share at 495 metric tons and the Canadian share at 656 metric tons. The motion passed the Council 9-8.
Comments related to this motion can be found below:
Listen to and read New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell’s letter to the NEFMC, urging them to reopen U.S. and Canada yellowtail flounder quota negotiations.
Listen to Vito Giacalone, of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, discuss the importance of scientifically or diplomatically obtaining a larger yellowtail quota.
Listen to Drew Minkiewicz, of the Fisheries Survival Fund, discuss his concerns and reservations regarding the results of the Transboundary Resource Assessment Committee (TRAC) assessment with regards to Georges Bank yellowtail, and the U.S. and Canada Sharing Agreement’s resemblance to a “giving agreement.”
Listen to Groundfish Committee member, David Goethel, discuss the bleak futures of the groundfish and scallop industries and the “statistical sleights of hand” that have resulted in a flawed assessment and an unsound U.S. and Canada Sharing Agreement.
Listen to Bill Karp, the Science and Research Director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), respond to Northeast Fisheries Service Regional Administrator, John Bullard’s, question regarding the scientific credibility of a 1,150 metric ton yellowtail allocation.
In a later motion, the Council deliberated over options to set the allocation of Georges Bank Yellowtail by-catch for the scallop industry. The final determination concluded that the scallop fleet will receive a 40 percent allocation of the catch for 2013 and then a fixed percentage of 16 percent for the years 2014 and 2015.
A low catch limit on yellowtail threatens scallopers, as it is not possible to harvest scallops without some by-catch of yellowtail. Accordingly, they are given a yellowtail catch limit, which they can't exceed without triggering severe restrictions. The scallop industry landed over a quarter billion dollars in product last year, and for over a decade has made New Bedford, Massachusetts the nation's most profitable fishing port.
The motion passed in the Council 16-0-1.
Comments related to this motion can be found below:
Listen to Ron Smolowitz, of the Fisheries Survival Fund, express his concerns for the 2013 fishing season for the scallop industry, and express the need for real time data on catches and transferability of remaining catches between the the groundfish fishery and the scallop fishery.
Listen to Jim Odlin, of Atlantic Trawler’s Fishing, speak about the importance of allocating resources based on historic catch and suggest splitting off management of yellowtail from management of scallops. He emphasizes the importance of compromise, suggesting giving the scallop fishery a 40 percent allocation for 2013 so that they can have a chance to recover.
Listen to Drew Minkiewicz, of the Fisheries Survival Fund, explain frustration over new yellowtail projections being released on the day of the final vote, and call on the Science Center to check the data more thoroughly. Mr. Minkiewicz also suggests creating a motion that would determine allocation by poundage instead of a fixed percentage.
Listen to Maggie Raymond, of the Associated Fisheries of Maine, speak on the need for fixed percentage allocations for all yellowtail, and express concern that there will not be enough of an allocation for the groundfishery otherwise.
Listen to Jackie Odell, of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, support the amendment for a fixed percentage allocation on the high end for the scallop fleet. She also reminds the Council that the ignored groundfish fleet is receiving a dwindling allocation of yellowtail and continues to be harmed by reductions.
Listen to Chris Brown, the President of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association, stress the need for a timely, focused, single-species stock assessment on the yellowtail flounder.
Listen to Bill Karp, the Science and Research Director of the NEFSC, discuss the need for alternative stock assessment models and the lack of short term solutions to resolve any issues with the current yellowtail assessment.
Listen to Groundfish Committee member, Frank Blount, discuss the possibility of not allocating the yellowtail resource.
Listen to Groundfish Committee member, David Goethel, discuss bycatch reduction and the creation of a trading mechanism between the scallop and groundfish fleets.
Listen to Drew Minkiewicz, of the Fisheries Survival Fund, express concerns about the TRAC assessment, changing the process without peer review, the catch efficiency estimate, and the sharing agreement with Canada.
Listen to Peter Hughes, of Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc., discuss the scallop and groundfish industries’ battle over the small yellowtail stock.