June 22, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council on Tuesday opted not to adopt a position on whether restrictions should be enacted against Northeast Fishery Sector IX because of widespread misreporting by Carlos Rafael’s vessels.
The council, meeting for three days in Portland, Maine, refrained from pursuing formal comments, preferring to defer discussion on possible measures against the New Bedford-based groundfish sector until after Rafael is sentenced on July 28. The 65-year-old fishing mogul, known as the Codfather, pleaded guilty in late March to falsifying fish quotas, conspiracy and tax evasion.
“Many people think it is more appropriate to wait for the sentencing hearing to take place and the criminal case to be fully settled first,” said Janice Plante, council spokeswoman.
The council spent nearly all of Tuesday deliberating other groundfish issues, including the selection of varied monitoring alternatives for the Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23 aimed at “improving the reliability and accountability of catch reporting.”
The council voted to include electronic monitoring alternatives, a dockside monitoring program option, alternatives to determine the total monitoring coverage rate, proposals to improve sector reporting and an option to publicize the coverage rate at a time that assists the sectors in their business planning.
The council specifically identified aspects of electronic monitoring requiring more analysis and development, including electronic monitoring “as an approved alternative to at-sea monitors to directly estimate discards.”