NOAA Fisheries Service and the State of Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) today announced a pilot program to obtain fishing vessel permits and then lease the access rights associated with the permits to small-scale fishermen in rural fishing ports in Maine. NOAA is providing at least $1 million to support this effort, which the DMR will administer. Read the complete story at NOAA News.
Maine: NEFMC Member Glen Libby explains fishery council’s scallop regulation change and his “no” vote
Glen Libby said Jan. 28 that there was extensive debate about scallop regulation at the January meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council. Libby serves on the council.
Libby said he was concerned about the precedent set by the reversal, and he voted against the change.
"The much advertised loss of income in the press and from Capitol Hill was somewhat misleading," Libby said. "It was calculated using a simple deduction of days at sea from [2009], using that multiplier based on last year's income to extrapolate a figure of loss. In reality the fleet was expected to go well over this number and the loss would most likely have been considerably less than advertised."
Libby said the new catch rate of 24 percent still represented a reduction in both days at sea and closed area trips.
"The industry did accept a cutback, just not the one originally settled on," he said. "It should also be noted that the scallop industry has become very proactive when it comes to preserving the resource; they deserve credit for this."
EDITORIAL: Common sense, pressure leads to better fishing management
A landmark deal between the groundfishing and scallop industries is being seen as proof that the so-called "catch share" system proposed by the Obama administration can work for the overall fishing industry.
The deal does offer evidence that it can work. But it is important to take note of why the deal got made in the first place: It made sense only after the New England Fishery Management Council reversed itself last week and voted for a more reasonable limit on the taking of scallops for the coming year.
And that only happened because of enormous pressure from political leaders, ranging from Congressman Barney Frank to Gov. Deval Patrick.
The agreement calls for the groundfishermen to give about 200,000 pounds of their yellowtail flounder allocation to the scallopers, in exchange for financial consideration that has not yet been determined.
Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold “Catch Shares” Workshop March 16-18 in Williamsburg, VA
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) will host an educational workshop March 16-18, 2010 on "catch shares."
The workshop will be conducted in cooperation with the Fisheries Leadership and Sustainability Forum, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Participants will include MAFMC members, MAFMC staff, MAFMC Advisory Panel representatives, ASMFC representatives, MAFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) representatives, as well as leadership from the New England Fishery Management Council, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and NMFS. As with all MAFMC meetings, the workshop will be open to the public and there will be several opportunities for public comment.
The term “catch share” encompasses a broad spectrum of fishery management systems that share a common approach: allocating a portion of a scientifically determined catch limit to a discrete set of users (i.e. individuals, groups, or communities). The MAFMC adopted the first catch share programs in the United States when it implemented an ITQ (individual transferable quota) program for the surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries in 1990. The MAFMC also recently (2009) implemented a catch share system for tilefish (IFQ – individual fishing quota).
Inspector General’s report, scallop decision reversal and more – Guest: Congressman Barney Frank
Each week, WBSM in New Bedford, Massachusetts hosts the Saving Seafood Hour on "Morning Magazine with Phil Paleologos."
February 4, 2010: Congressman Barney Frank joins hosts Phil Paleologos and Bob Vanasse on WBSM's Saving Seafood hour to discuss upcoming hearings on the Inspector General's report, the NEFMC's reversal of its scallop decision, Dr. Lubchenco's recent response to his October letter, and concerns about the scheduled transition to Catch Share regulation of the groundfishery via sectors.
NEFMC Council Sets Management Priorities, Asks Members to Submit Committee Preferences
New England Fisheries Management Council Chairman John Pappalardo has sent the list of 2010 approved management priorities with staff assignments to council members.
The Chairman will be assigning membership to the 8 different committees. The Chairman has asked council members to advise him as to the top 5 committees on which members wish to serve, in priority from 1-5. The Chair has reserved the right to assign council members membership to committees that may have been one of their priorities. Council members have been asked to submit their priorities by Wednesday, Feb 13.
Cap Log Group Develops Online Potential Sector Contribution (PSC) Calculator
The Cap Log Group of Davis, California has completed development of a PSC Calculator, aimed at helping fishermen and sectors to generate estimates of their 2010 Potential ACE Contributions.
The Potential Sector Contribution (PSC) Calculator is an on-line tool that helps commercial fishermen and sectors in the New England Multispecies Fishery estimate their quota allocation for the 2010 Fishing Year. Users enter their PSCs (%) and estimated discard rates to generate a stock-by-stock estimate (in pounds) of their 2010 allocation. Access the online calculator.
EDITORIAL: Scallop deal positive, but don’t lose sight of how it came about
Last week's landmark deal between the groundfishing and scallop industries is being seen as a sure sign that the so-called "catch share" system being pushed by the Obama administration's National Oceanic and Atmospheric chief Jane Lubchenco can work for the overall New England fishery.
And it does offer evidence of how catch share bartering can work.
But it is important — very important — to take note of why the deal came about, and why it even surfaced in the first place:
It made sense only because groundfishermen and scallopers had a viable trade to make to give scallopers the added quota they needed — and deserve. And the opportunity only rose because of enormous pressure from political leaders, ranging from Congressman Barney Frank and Gov. Deval Patrick to New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang, placed on the New England Fishery Management Council, and its chairman, John Pappalardo.
The agreement calls for the groundfishermen to give about 200,000 pounds of their yellowtail flounder allocation to the scallopers in exchange for financial consideration that has not yet been determined.
New fishing rules open up monitor jobs
New regulations intended to rebuild groundfish stocks in the Northeast will also result in the creation of up to 100 new jobs in the fishing industry.
"Starting May 1st there is going to be a need for a lot of monitors for groundfishing boats," said Jo Michaud, a manager at AIS Inc., which currently supplies trained observers to both commercial fishing vessels and dredges. Monitoring, however, is a new development, she said.
The new measures, developed by the New England Fishery Management Council and known as Amendment 16, create fishing "sectors" allowing members of a designated group of fishermen to share in the allowable yearly catch.
Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription]
OPINION: Council pays too much attention to anti-fisherman interests calling themselves environmentalists
Anyone who’s followed the New England Fisheries Management Council over the years knows that it is not a body that is open to a lot of public input.
So it’s all the more amazing that the impassioned pleas of Mayor Scott Lang, Gov. Deval Patrick and Congressman Barney Frank have actually convinced the council to reverse itself.
The decision to restore fishing days to the scallop fleet (from 29 to 37) means that the council is finally beginning to listen to science presented by fishing interests as well as the science presented by environmentalists.
As Lang put it, it was inappropriate for the council to so sharply, and unnecessarily, reduce the scallop effort at a time when the economy is already reeling.
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