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โ€˜Itโ€™s devastatingโ€™: Fishermen try to cope as NOAA shuts down groundfishing

December 13, 2017 โ€” NEWPORT, R.I. โ€” Cesar Verde only knows fishing.

The New Bedford resident learned the craft in his native Portugal. For the past 17 years, heโ€™s worked in the fishing industry in his new home, and heโ€™s been a captain for the past decade.

However, for the last two weeks, heโ€™s been out of the water because NOAA prohibited Carlos Rafaelโ€™s vessels from groundfishing.

Verde captains fishing vessel Ilha do Corvo.

โ€œSo far, (Iโ€™m) pitching in on the little savings I have. Soon Iโ€™ll run out,โ€ Verde said. โ€œIt will very soon become survival mode all the way up to putting food on the table.

โ€œMy hands and feet are totally tied up. This is what I do. This is the only thing I know how to do.โ€

The decision came as NOAA believed the executives who manage fishing Sector IX, which Rafaelโ€™s vessels populate, havenโ€™t corrected some lingering issues associated with the fishing mogulโ€™s illegal behavior including preventative measures and updated catch reports.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

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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