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John Bullard: Incomplete investigation by Rafael sector is โ€˜show stopperโ€™

January 9, 2018 โ€” John Bullard, the outgoing northeast region administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has provided a clue as to what he believes is needed to re-open groundfish harvesting in Sector IX, Carlos Rafaelโ€™s former fishing group.

โ€œAs far as we know, the sectorโ€™s enforcement committee has not yet completed an investigation of the sectorโ€™s operations issues or determined the full extent of the sectorโ€™s non-compliance,โ€ he says in a column published in South Coast Today, a newspaper serving New Bedford, Massachusetts, the port city Sector IX calls home.

โ€œThatโ€™s a show stopper.โ€

Bullard has heard plenty of criticism from the newly constituted board of Sector IX, the mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts, out-of-work crew members and many others since he announced his decision in November to shut down all groundfish harvesting for the group nearly five months before the season was due to end on April 30.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Fishermen voice concerns over fallout from Rafaelโ€™s crimes

December 7, 2017 โ€” NEWPORT, R.I. โ€” More than centuryโ€™s worth of fishing industry experience traveled from New Bedford to the Viking Hotel on Wednesday to describe the impact of NOAAโ€™s groundfish ban on Carlos Rafaelโ€™s vessels.

Richie Canastra, an owner of the New Bedford fish auction BASE, sat in front of the New England Fishery Management Council during a public comment portion of its meeting and warned of โ€œmany layoffsโ€ that will occur because of the ban.

Adrian Guillette, a crew member on one of Rafaelโ€™s vessels, told the council heโ€™s uncertain how heโ€™ll provide a Christmas with the ban in place.

Captain Brian Jannelle referred to the ban as an abuse of power. Another captain, Cesar Verde, asked the council to strongly reconsider the ban.

NOAA implemented the ban on groundfishing within Sector IX, one of 19 fishing divisions in the Northeast which is made up of Rafaelโ€™s vessels, on Nov. 20. The decision came from Regional Administrator John Bullard, who believed the division still hadnโ€™t addressed issues resulting from Rafaelโ€™s illegal behavior.

Canastra estimated about 80 fishermen have been affected by the ban. Twenty-two vessels have been pulled off the water. Jannelle, Verde and Guillette have yet to return to the seas.

โ€œI feel let down,โ€ Jannelle said. โ€œI feel let down because theyโ€™re supposed to manage our fishery and protect the fishermen. Theyโ€™re not protecting the fishermen. Theyโ€™re hurting the fishermen.โ€

The council voted in September that the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office should โ€œimmediately enforce sector regulationsโ€ and supported NOAAโ€™s actions to enforce regulations.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

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