Saving Seafood

  • Home
  • News
    • Alerts
    • Conservation & Environment
    • Council Actions
    • Economic Impact
    • Enforcement
    • International & Trade
    • Law
    • Management & Regulation
    • Regulations
    • Nutrition
    • Opinion
    • Other News
    • Safety
    • Science
    • State and Local
  • News by Region
    • New England
    • Mid-Atlantic
    • South Atlantic
    • Gulf of Mexico
    • Pacific
    • North Pacific
    • Western Pacific
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Fishing Terms Glossary

MASSACHUSETTS: State lawmakers eye new office to look at wind impacts on fisheries

July 29, 2020 โ€” House lawmakers unanimously backed the idea of creating a new office within the Department of Fish and Game to specifically study the impacts of offshore wind infrastructure on marine fisheries and ocean life.

In a consolidated amendment adopted Tuesday as part of its economic development bill, the House proposes an Office of Renewable Energy Fishery Impacts that would โ€œconduct and foster research concerning the impacts of offshore wind energy infrastructure on marine fisheries including effects of such installations and connections on the health and behavior of marine mammals; (ii) accept and review commentary from representatives of impacted fishing fleets and renewable energy operators or providers; and (iii) educate and inform citizens on matters related to offshore wind energy and associated impacts on marine life.โ€

The office would also function as a liaison to federal agencies and academic institutions.

The text in the consolidated amendment mirrors an amendment originally filed by Rep. William Straus of Mattapoisett.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

MASSACHUSETTS: House claws at lobster processing restrictions

April 24, 2019 โ€” Expanding opportunities for the sale and processing of frozen lobster parts would provide a โ€œgreat economic shot in the armโ€ for the vital fishing industry in Massachusetts, Cape Cod Rep. Sarah Peake said Tuesday.

House lawmakers agreed to a policy rider Tuesday as part of their deliberation on a $42.7 billion state budget that would allow authorized persons to process and sell frozen lobster parts in Massachusetts, building on a 2013 law that allowed the sale and processing of shell-on lobster tails that meet certain size requirements.

Rep. William Straus, a Mattapoisett Democrat who offered the amendment, said the breaking apart of lobsters for public sale has been โ€œhighly regulatedโ€ and the reforms already made have increased the availability of โ€œthe kinds of lobster products the public is looking for.โ€

Read the full story from State House News Service at The New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: State Rep. Straus request reveals NOAA has yet to penalize Rafael

August 25, 2017 โ€” NEW BEDFORD, Mass. โ€” Through a public records request, Rep. William Straus said he discovered that NOAA hasnโ€™t disciplined Carlos Rafael since the indictment has been released.

That included an incident on Aug. 5, 2016, which occurred after the indictment, where public records also show that the Coast Guard cited the Lady Patricia, a Rafael vessel listed in the indictment, for โ€œfishing without proper VMS designation.โ€

NOAA defines its Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) as a system supporting law enforcement initiatives and preventing violations of laws and regulations. It is used as evidence in the prosecution of environmental laws and regulations including regional fishing quotas, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Rafael pleaded guilty in March to falsely labeling fish quotas, tax evasion and smuggling money.

NOAA said it doesnโ€™t comment on ongoing cases, but it said it isnโ€™t uncommon for the organization to issues penalties after criminal proceedings.

Straus, D-Mattapoisett, had requested from NOAA all charging documents involving Rafael.

โ€œThere was a pattern of behavior which concerned me about its impact on what we want to have in terms of managing the fishery,โ€ Straus said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Kavanagh: Groundfish fishery needs ownership cap

April 14, 2016 โ€” NEW BEDFORD, Mass. โ€” In regards to state Rep. William Strausโ€™ recent letter to the editor (โ€œYour View: Impact of the federal fisheries arrests in New Bedford,โ€ March 22), I appreciate his concern for the fishing industry. It doesnโ€™t really matter how the fish are regulated โ€” days at sea, catch shares, ITQ. Under any of these systems an ownership cap is necessary, as he pointed out.

The scallop industry has had an ownership cap for years, and it seems to be working out fairly well. The groundfish industry should follow a similar path. For some reason many members of the groundfish industry donโ€™t seem to want a cap. They say they will have difficulty selling their permits if a cap is put into place.

Read the full letter at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: State floats new plan for fishing disaster money

September 5, 2015 โ€” The state Division of Marine Fisheries listened to those who wanted a wider distribution of $6.7 million in federal fisheries disaster money. At a meeting of the groundfish disaster aid working group in New Bedford on Friday, the agency laid out a plan where more than $6 million of the money would be used in direct aid to fishermen.

While an earlier proposal set a fairly high bar of 20,000 pounds of groundfish landings in any year from 2012 to 2014 to qualify for aid, the new plan would require 10,000 pounds of groundfish or have at least one trip in 2014 on which a vessel carried an observer.

Groundfish once were the bread and butter of New England fishermen, and include bottom-feeding species such as cod, haddock and flounders.

According to DMF analysis, 138 vessels would have qualified under the 20,000-pound criteria and 164 can receive aid under the reduced landings or observed trip scenarios. Only 10 of the 24 vessels in the Chatham-based Georges Bank Fixed Gear Sector would have qualified under the higher amount and 18 now qualify under the new plan. Claire Fitz-Gerald, manager of the sector, believes this number is closer to 22 or 23 based on her own calculations.

Read the full story from the Cape Cod Times

Read Rep. William Strausโ€™ letter to Massachusetts Gov. Charles Baker

Recent Headlines

  • Trump reinstating commercial fishing in northeast marine monument
  • Natural toxin in ocean results in restrictions on Pacific sardine fishing off South Coast
  • MAINE: Maine lobstermen remain mighty political force despite shrinking numbers
  • HAWAII: Ahi labeling bill waiting on governorโ€™s signature
  • Trump administration strikes hard at offshore wind
  • USDA awards USD 2.3 million in pollock contracts, seeks more bids on pollock, salmon
  • Trump to reopen Northeast Canyons to commercial fishing
  • US, China agree to 90-day pause on high tariffs

Most Popular Topics

Alaska Aquaculture ASMFC Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission BOEM California China Climate change Coronavirus COVID-19 Donald Trump groundfish Gulf of Maine Gulf of Mexico Hawaii Illegal fishing IUU fishing Lobster Maine Massachusetts Mid-Atlantic National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NEFMC New Bedford New England New England Fishery Management Council New Jersey New York NMFS NOAA NOAA Fisheries North Atlantic right whales North Carolina North Pacific offshore energy Offshore wind Pacific right whales Salmon South Atlantic Western Pacific Whales wind energy Wind Farms

Daily Updates & Alerts

Enter your email address to receive daily updates and alerts:
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Tweets by @savingseafood

Copyright ยฉ 2025 Saving Seafood ยท WordPress Web Design by Jessee Productions

Notifications