November 7, 2012 — New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell has written to NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center Science and Research Director Bill Karp regarding anticipated cuts in 2013 Annual Catch Limits.
The mayor says the forecasted cuts are impossible for New Bedford fishermen to accept due to the growing concerns about the accuracy of the groundfish stock assessments.
He notes that his is not simply an issue of fishermen expressing frustration of the quota levels, noting that when fishermen are confident in the underlying science, they will accept lower quota because they understand it is in the long-term interest of the fishery. He cites the scallop industry's willingness to accept lower quota in 2013 because they have confidence in the science and the data collection process
The mayor also asks Dr. Karp to consider the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute's (MFI) proposals to participate in an end-to-end stock assessment review and a cooperative yellowtail research survey.
The text of the letter follows…
November 7, 2012
BY EMAIL AND REGULAR MAIL
William A. Karp
Science and Research Director
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
166 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026
Re: November 9,2012 NOAA Science Forum
Dear Dr. Karp:
As mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts, which recently was named the nation's highest grossing fishing port for the twelfth consecutive year, I want to thank you for holding the fishermen's groundfish science forum on November 9,2012 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I greatly appreciate your commitment to strengthening the relationship between fisheries scientists and industry.
As you know, draconian cuts in the Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) are forecasted for the 2013 fishing year for a number of stocks in the multispecies fishery. If implemented, these cuts would be devastating for New Bedford. Annual groundfish landings in New Bedford are worth $20 million. Our scallop industry – for which one species in the multispecies fishery, yellowtail flounder, is bycatch – brings in $400 million in direct annual revenue. Taking into account their ancillary businesses, the two fisheries account for nearly $1.3 billion in annual economic activity in Greater New Bedford.
The forecasted cuts are impossible for New Bedford fishermen to accept due to the growing concerns about the accuracy of the groundfish stock assessments. There is a misperception that fishermen are concerned solely with the amount of quota, not with the quality of science. If fishermen are confident in the underlying science, they will accept lower quota because they understand it is in the long-term interest of the fishery. For example, the scallop industry has expressed its willingness to accept significant cuts to their quota in the 2013 fishing year because it has confidence in the science and the data collection process, and it is confident that the reduced quota will result increased scallop biomass and improved harvest levels in the future.
It is my hope that we can all work together to build the same level of cooperation and confidence in groundfish assessments and surveys. As a next step, I strongly urge you consider the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute (MFI)'s proposals to participate in an end-to-end stock assessment review and a cooperative yellowtail research survey. I believe that an end-to-end review of the data collection, assessment and management process will promote a constructive dialogue between scientists,government, and industry on how best to improve fisheries science and management in New England. MFI's proposed cooperative survey of yellowtail flounder will also help foster confidence in the stock assessments and positive relations. If fishermen believe that survey data reflect the actual abundance of the stock, then they will be more likely to accept the resulting stock assessments and management measures.
The fishing year starts on May 1,2013, so there is no time to waste. Given the importance of the multispecies fishery to New Bedford, I hope that you can work with MFI to resolve the unanswered questions about the status of the groundfish fishery and give New Bedford's fishermen confidence that decisions are being made with the best and most complete information possible.
Sincerely,
Jon Mitchell
Mayor