SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton February 18, 2014 — Why can’t US fisheries managers accept solutions that fall into their lap? The haddock stock on George's Bank is a glaring example of US government failure to address easily solvable fisheries problems.
We have been struck by the success of the recent Canadian winter haddock season. In January, in just a few ports in Nova Scotia, Canadian boats landed more than 2,000 tons of haddock (nearly 4.5 million pounds). The newspapers were filled with stories of overloaded harbors, full processing plants, and higher revenue based on great market prices.
Meanwhile, the fisheries disaster in New England keeps unfolding. According to a recent letter from the chair of the New England council to the head of the Dept. of Commerce, 2013 groundfish landings in New England will be around 43.4 million lbs, with revenue of only $55.8 million. This represents a 38% reduction in revenue since 2011. No wonder New England fishing businesses outside of the scallop industry are facing extinction.
In this context, there are some booming stocks. US Haddock quotas for 2013 on Georges Bank were over 26,000 tons (or nearly 60 million lbs.) If just 50% of this quota had been landed, New England groundfish landings would have exceeded 2011. Instead, with only a little of the fishing year left, only 1680 tons (3.7 million lbs) of haddock has been landed and the landings for the year will be around 10% of the quota.
The fishing disaster in New England is not just a matter of biology and low cod stocks; it is a failure of NMFS and the dept. of commerce to manage for economic success.
Jim Odlin, a former member of the NE council and trawler owner in Maine, says in all his years of fishery management, "I've never gone into a meeting room where some one said how can we catch more fish."
For the US side, the situation is even worse – as the industry has sacrificed for years to rebuild stocks, and now is prevented from harvesting those stocks that have been rebuilt.
Alain De’ Entremont, who operates several vessels in the Canadian haddock fishery, pointed out some of the factors allowing them to catch higher levels of their quotas.
First, the Canadians use a smaller mesh. This year a pilot project allowing vessels to try a 5.7 inch mesh in a diamond configuration, which scientific studies showed did not change the catch composition from their previous 5.1 inch mesh in a square configuration. Observer coverage was added to monitor the catch composition to ensure that the catch composition was not vastly changed and did not increase the catch of sensitive cod and yellowtail bycatch.
Second they use a trawl separator. The bottom meter of the trawl is left open – allowing cod to escape. In Nova Scotia, the ratio of cod by-catch to haddock this winter was around 78 to 1 with some variation depending on the vessels, meaning that they catch 78 pounds of haddock for each pound of cod. This allows haddock to be caught in volume, even when there are severe constraints on cod. The mobile gear's ratio this season based on the current quotas is 70 to 1.
Third, they all use a system of ITQ’s and the boats with extra cod quotas trade with boats that need it to maximize haddock volumes.
Fourth, their fishery is 100% observed by independent observers who measure the bycatch rates and size composition of the haddock catch. These observers are paid by the industry at a cost of approximately $400 per day.
Even with these positive benefits, the trawl sector will likely only catch about 70% or so of their total allocation. In some years they have caught 90% or 95%.
The US harvesters are well aware of this success, and have consistently pointed out the NMFS rules holding back a similar approach on the US side. One of the key issues is the closed areas. These were closed 20 years ago on the US side as a conservation measure; but now with hard TAC's that rationale no longer exists. At some times of the year the Canadians fish on the nose of Georges Bank, right next to the US closed area.
On the US side, haddock vessels have to use 6.5 inch mesh; they have no access to closed areas without paying 100% of observer cost, and they must pay observer cost of $700 to $1000 per day if they are to use a separator trawl with a 6 inch mesh. For a haddock trip to Georges, this would add $7000 to $10,000 in expense.
The New England council voted to open the closed areas, but was attacked for doing so despite the fact that the rationale for the closures no longer existed. As a result the openings were subject to a range of restrictions. The council did vote to allow a smaller mesh (6 inches rather than 6.5 inches) with separator trawls. NMFS came back with a requirement for 100% industry funded observer coverage, that made these changes uneconomical for an experimental fishery.
The Council had asked the closed areas be open for traditional haddock fishing areas, fully respecting all sensitive habitat areas. NMFS got 20,000 letters generated by environmental organizations opposing any opening of the closed areas, despite the fact that the rationale for closure – to manage effort – no longer exists under the IFQ sector scheme with hard TAC's.
The council had also warned NMFS that given the current reduction in revenue, the industry could not support an industry-funded observer requirement, and if that was included in the rule, it would kill the proposal.
Instead of working with the council, NMFS came back with requirements for 100% observer coverage, no allowance for experimental fishing or finding where the most appropriate haddock fishing areas might be, and no flexibility.
Trawler owners said okay, if we can't agree on observer payments, why don't you let us try to fish haddock in the new area on the 30% of the trips we are assigned an observer. NMFS refused.
Many of them already use and have separator trawls, and those that have fished haddock report getting 50 to 1 ratios between haddock and cod. They are convinced they could go much higher – up to 100 to 1 or more, with a smaller mesh gear.
Today, on the 2010 year class that Canada is feasting on, New England trawlers release 80% of the legal size fish that come into their nets. A health target for this ratio should be 50% – which could be achieved with a smaller mesh size.
The fastest way to bring New England’s Fisheries back to health are to address the obstacles that prevent trawlers from accessing healthy stocks.
Given the fisheries disaster, and the fact that money will be allocated to the states, one of the most effective uses of funds would be for NMFS to guarantee paid observer coverage for all efforts to increase landings of abundant stocks, like haddock and redfish. It is unconscionable that NMFS is not focusing on the single most cost effective ways of raising fishing income, but instead is perpetuating the fisheries disaster.
Secondly, NMFS must excersize some leadership – all the extensive data supports the use of separator trawls and smaller mesh, and the opening of some of the closed areas. Yet NMFS is swayed by the campaign that says any relaxation of a closed area is a slippary slope back to overfishing. It is simply not true, and NMFS has an advocacy responsibility here, when public comments are not based on science.
This year, the US will land far less than 10% of the 26,000 ton quota of Haddock on Georges Bank, while the Canadians fishing the same stock will catch 70% to 80% of their quota.
NMFS needs a tiger team to tackle all the regulations that are preventing access to New England’s largest healthy stock – and set a goal of landing 50% of the quota. This would go a long way towards nursing the industry outside of scallops back to health.
It is time to have meetings where the only question on the table is how can US fishermen catch more haddock.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.