"There are thousands of jobs being lost up and down the coast," Gloucester's Vito Calomo said of U.S. Sen. Scott Brown's community outreach for fisheries. "Sen. Brown understands that every boat that goes to sea creates jobs."
Calomo said Brown, a Republican, intended to maintain the link with Democratic colleagues.
Garth Patterson, who represents Congressman Barney Frank on fisheries issues, also reached across the aisle to acknowledge the efforts of Congressman Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, as the House shifts to Republican control in January and the 2-year presidential election begins.
The bipartisan, bi-cameral alliance for the fishing industry was galvanized at the start of the Obama administration by Lubchenco's confirmation as NOAA administrator and her rush to spread the catch share system throughout U.S. fisheries. The approach transforms the common wealth in wild resources into assigned catching rights that attract investors to the nascent market.
The ultra conservative allocations of the 19 stocks of groundfish were cited as principally responsible for demobilizing more than half the fleet just as the mandated catch share system was put into effect beginning last May 1, the start of the fishing year for groundfish.
Richie Canastra, an owner of the main fish auctions in New Bedford and Boston, and Larry Ciulla, whose family owns the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction, issued parallel reports to the Times on the impact of Amendment 16, the framework that includes the catch-share format — a system that sets a total allowable catch, gives fishermen "shares" based on their catch histories, yet encourages them to buy, sell or trade shares among their own numbers, or to outside investors.
"During the first five months of the 2010 fishing year," said Canastra, "two-thirds of the groundfish fleet were inactive while more than half the fleet's 253 vessels had not fished at all. For every vessel not fishing, there is a loss of four jobs."
While the smaller businesses were struggling, Canastra said, the businesses at the top of the scale were enjoying the system.
"In addition to an increase in the number of inactive vessels, the number that earned more than $300,000 for this period in 2010 increased from 21 to 41 vessels," Canastra said.
Ciulla said he has seen similar impacts in Gloucester, which is the nation's 10th leading port in value of landings; New Bedford is number one owing largely to the scallop fishery that is based there.
"About two-thirds of the small day boats have been kept inactive," said Ciulla.
The half dozen off-shore boats have been working, but he said it would be a mistake to think of them as prosperous, as distinct from working.