NEW BEDFORD, MA (February 16, 2009) – With the recession’s grip and environmental restrictions tightening, New Bedford fishermen are worrying if they will have any chance to keep their jobs.
Watch the video: ABC-6 special report from Jennifer Gannon
Good news on the ocean front for a change
CHICAGO, IL (February 15, 2009) — Some Pacific island countries are successfully protecting their reefs, haddock and scallops are recovering in New England waters and a few types of whales are even making a comeback.
"The news today is that there is good news" for the oceans, Nancy Knowlton of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Friday.
That doesn’t mean that people no longer need to be concerned about the future of the oceans and sea life, but she said it is time to move beyond the obituaries and recognize there is also progress.
Read the Associated Press story in full
Compliance Guide: Framework 42 suspended – but many regulations live on
GLOUCESTER, MA (February 13, 2009) – Due to the January 26, 2009 court ruling — Massachusetts v. Gutierrez — the "NE multispecies regulations implemented under Framework Adjustment 42 to the NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan have been suspended until further notice." However, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, several regulations and measures are STILL IN EFFECT. A detailed compliance guide for these ongoing regulations appear in this official NOAA / Fisheries Service document:
Official Compliance Guide: National Marine Fisheries Service [PDF]
Lease suspensions felling fleet
The suspension of the federal days-at-sea leasing program, felled in the legal clash between an alliance of two states against the National Marine Fisheries Service in a federal courtroom, is wreaking economic havoc on the fleet based in Gloucester.
"I laid the crew off Friday," said Lady Jane owner and Capt. Russell Sherman.
Three of Sherman’s boat employees and a bookkeeper were idled in response to a freeze in a system that he expected would provide 37 days of fishing beyond the 10 he has left on his federal multispecies or groundfish permit for the 2008 fishing year that ends April 30.
Sherman said he had $11,000 in escrow for the extra days.
Read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full
Gloucester Times Says NMFS is “the Disease”
GLOUCESTER, MA (February 12, 2009) – Nobody knows yet what the final result will be regarding a federal judge’s order to suspend Framework 42, the rules governing the fishing industry.
But the recent three-day meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council in Portsmouth, N.H., did make one thing clear: On Jan. 26, when U.S. District Judge Edward Harrington ordered the suspension of Framework 42 for 60 days, he was only attacking a symptom, which was all he had the authority to attack. The disease at the core of the fight to sustain the fishery is indeed is the agency that imposes those regulations — the National Marine Fisheries Service itself. If survival of the industry and the resource are ever going to be balanced in a reasonable way, this entire rogue agency is going to have to be restructured. Right now, it is essentially a law unto itself. Read the Gloucester Daily Times opinion in full
Gregg Withdraws as Commerce Nominee
WASHINGTON, DC (February 12, 2009) – New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg has withdrawn from consideration to become Commerce Secretary.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Gregg said he has “found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me.”
Gregg, a Republican, had been President Obama’s pick to become Commerce Secretary after his first choice, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew from consideration amid a federal investigation into possible pay-to-play deals in his state.
Read the CBS News story in full
Council Rebuffs Feds
PORTSMOUTH, NH (February 11, 2009) — The regional council that sets fishery policy sided with a federal judge yesterday, asserting that Congress did not expect or want the industry brought to its knees in an effort to nurture back to health the weakest stock in the polyglot groundfish system.
In the process, the New England Fishery Management Council put itself at odds with its governmental master, the National Marine Fisheries Service, over Congress’ intent as expressed in the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the governing statute for fisheries reauthorized in 2007.
The action added yet another level of uncertainty and complexity to an industry and a fishery caught in conflict between the National Marine Fisheries Service, two states within its jurisdiction suing it, the federal judge hearing the case and the council that works for and advises NMFS on regulatory policies.
Read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full
For additional coverage from the Manchester Union-Leader see this story: New England Council Rejects Federal Regulators’ Position
Amendment 13 to control fishing rules while judge considers request
NEW BEDFORD, MA (February 11, 2009) – Federal fisheries regulators have reverted to an old set of fishing rules to govern New England’s groundfishing industry while a court-ordered suspension of current rules is in effect for 60 days.
A cloud of uncertainty has plagued the industry in recent weeks following a Jan. 26 federal court ruling that suspended current fishing restrictions, known as Framework 42.
The ruling has left fishermen wondering what rules apply to them when they head out to sea.
Patricia Kurkul, regional administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service, told The Standard-Times on Tuesday that previous groundfishing rules, known as Amendment 13, are now in effect.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
Related story: New England Council Rejects Federal Regulators’ Position
New England fishery managers, feds, spar over intent of fishing rule
PORTSMOUTH, NH (February 10, 2009) — Regional fishery managers are at odds with their federal counterparts over a court-ordered report analyzing controversial groundfishing rules, known as Framework 42, which have been suspended for 60 days.
The New England Fishery Management Council, which met Tuesday in Portsmouth, N.H., voted 11 to 6 to reject a draft report prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service.
The two regulatory bodies are in disagreement over how Congress intended to interpret federal fishing law, particularly with regard to a special rule that would allow for overfishing of a depleted fish stock so that fishermen could harvest healthier stocks that swim in the same area.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
Fishers Learn to Share Shrinking Catch
SAN DIEGO, CA (February 10, 2009) – With the oceans in crisis, where will our fish – an important source of protein for billions of people – come from?
Innovative new fisheries management tools called "catch share" have begun in recent years and promise to keep fish on the menu for future generations, according to experts at the recent Seafood Summit in San Diego.
"Adaptation is the key – adaptation and innovation," Kristjan Davidsson, former CEO of Iceland Seafood International, told over 450 conference attendees last week.
"It is not hard to see that sustainability is the way to go but that requires collaboration with all sectors," Davidsson said.
Read the Inter Press Service story in full