September 14, 2013 — Northeast fishermen whose businesses have been gutted by government regulations go to Washington seeking relief. Fox News Channel's Griff Jenkins speaks with the Northeast Seafood Coalition's VIto Giacalone in Washington for "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."
Mass. Governor certifies to Feds that small businesses have been injured by fisheries disaster
GLOUCESTER, Mass., — September 16, 2013 — The following was released by the Northeast Seafood Coalition:
The Northeast Seafood Coalition (NSC) expresses sincere appreciation to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the Governor’s office for their leadership in certifying to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that the Massachusetts groundfish industry has suffered substantial economic injury as a result of a fishery resource failure. The Governor’s certification is an essential step for the SBA to declare a disaster and make the Massachusetts groundfish fishery eligible for SBA disaster assistance programs including Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
Gov. Patrick wrote to the SBA Director Frank Staggs outlining the critical need for assistance to the Northeast groundfish fishery based on a “commercial fishery failure” for the 2013 fishing season. For Fishing Year 2013, catch limits have been dramatically reduced for key groundfish stocks that are the core of the economic engine that runs the fishery and fishing communities in the Northeast. As a result of dramatic instability within the fishery, many fishermen and groundfish-dependent businesses are not only facing the loss of their business and source of income, but they are also facing the loss of their homes that have been mortgaged to support their businesses.
Gov. Patrick wrote in his letter, “Based on the results of this survey, I hereby certify that in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 13, Part 123.3, at least five (5) small businesses in the counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Plymouth, Norfolk, and Suffolk Counties in Massachusetts suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the fishery resource disaster. I hereby certify that the degree of economic injury is so severe that financial assistance at reasonable rates and terms is not otherwise available, thereby creating the necessity for federal involvement…”
NSC initiated this process in March 2013 with a request for assistance from former Massachusetts U.S. Senator William “Mo” Cowan, who was a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. At Sen. Cowan’s request, Gov. Patrick’s office put the SBA process into full swing. NSC and Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership worked with affected fishermen across coastal counties in Massachusetts to collect the financial impact information required to support the Governor’s certification.
SBA assistance is one source of support NSC is working on to help the Northeast groundfish fishery during this time of crisis. NSC is hopeful that SBA's disaster assistance programs will add an important component to a larger need for direct financial assistance including the Fisheries Disaster Mitigation Fund approved in July by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
NSC is thankful to Gov. Patrick and his office, former Sen. Cowan and his office, MA DMF, MEMA, and the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership for their work to assist in providing the groundfish fishery in Massachusetts with critically needed federal assistance. In the coming days, NSC will continue to work with other Northeast states in which our members reside to help certify economic injury and gain access to SBA assistance.
About the Northeast Seafood Coalition:
The Northeast Seafood Coalition is a non-profit organization representing over 361 commercial fishing entities, which hold over 500 limited access groundfish permits, in the northeast United States on political and policy issues affecting their interests as participants in the groundfish fishery and the Sector program in the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery. NSC members are small, independent, entrepreneurial businesses that fish for—and support fishing for—cod, haddock, flounders, and other groundfish species along the northeast coast. NSC’s fishing business members fish from small and large ports all along the northeast coast. They fish small, medium, and large vessels, and they employ all groundfish gear types.
NSC works for rules that embody real solutions to complex fishery problems.
Read Governor Patrick's letter to SBA Director Frank Skaggs
Read a PDF version of the press release here
Sean McKeon resigns N.C Fisheries Association; cites industry’s financial woes as reason
September 13, 2013 — BAYBORO, N.C. — Sean McKeon has been speaking on behalf of commercial fishermen in North Carolina for 8½ years. But he said the industry’s financial difficulties have forced him to resign effective Sept. 20 as president of the N.C. Fisheries Association.
Mr. McKeon’s decision to step down has been discussed by the association for about a year. He said Thursday that due to a recent downsizing in the association, a new board of directors is going to be elected at the association’s annual meeting in mid-October, this time without a full-time president position.
Mr. McKeon said the reason for this downsizing is the financial difficulties commercial fishermen and the fishing industry in North Carolina are facing.
“The regulatory burden has crippled the industry,” he said. “With the closing of Oregon Inlet, we lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The resources aren’t what they used to be. I hate to use the term ‘perfect storm,’ but it’s been a combination of many things, like the regulations and people getting out of the industry.”
Mr. McKeon has been a frequent face at many meetings of fishing regulatory bodies, such as the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. At these meetings, he’s often said tightening commercial regulations – such as shorter seasons, gear restrictions and reduced trip limits – have been forcing people out of commercial fishing.
Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times
New York Gov. Cuomo displeased with federal fishing limits that hamper efforts of local fishermen
September 12, 2013 — MONTAUK, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited with commercial fishermen in Montauk on Monday to support their efforts to legally catch more fish in local waterways.
Fishermen in New York are only allowed to catch 100 pounds of fluke each day. However, in New Jersey and Rhode Island, fishermen can take in double that amount.
As for recreational fishing, people in New York are permitted to keep fewer and physically smaller fluke than they are in neighboring states.
Read the full story at Long Island News 12
Grant and Assistance Programs for Fishing Industry – October 1st Presentation
September 13, 2013 — NOAA Fisheries will be hosting a free presentation by the U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture on grant and other assistance programs they offer that can provide support to the fishing industry and shore side business.
This presentation will be on October 1, 2013, from 3:30-5:30 pm at the Northeast Regional Office in Gloucester, MA. Please click here to view the flier for the event, which includes information on how to participate via webinar.
Additionally, we have posted an updated version of "Fishing Through Tough Times: A Working Document of Potential Resources and Ideas to Support the Northeast Region Groundfish Industry" on our website.
Alaska seafood industry awaits Walmart response
September 13, 2013 — Renner, Hopkins and others involved in Alaska's seafood industry are hoping that this demonstration and talks conducted the following day at Walmart's headquarters in Arkansas by Alaska government and Walmart officials will result in Walmart purchasing more Alaska seafood for sale in the multinational retail company's stores.
The fish harvesters from Cordova "want Walmart as our business partner, not our adversary," said Renner. "Coming off of an all-time record season, we want to move this product," he said, as cars passing by the demonstrators honked their horns in approval.
"We want them as a partner to carefully consider their decision."
"Alaska fisheries have been sustainable long before MSC, and will continue to be sustainable long after," said Greg Gabriel, executive director of the Northwest Alaska Seiners Association. "Walmart should be proud to provide sustainable Alaska salmon to Americans."
At issue is Walmart's decision to purchase for its thousands of retail stores only seafood certified as sustainable by the London-based Marine Stewardship Council. With more than four-dozen seafood processors and others now committed to another sustainability certification program sponsored by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, the fishermen and the state of Alaska are asking Walmart to reconsider its commitment to purchase only MSC-certified seafood.
There is no indication of when that decision, which is potentially worth millions of dollars in sales for Alaska's fishing industry, will be forthcoming. All Walmart has had to say to date is that it was "a productive meeting that gave us the opportunity to learn about Alaska's fishery certification program," said Walmart spokesman Chris Schraeder.
Read the full story at the Cordova Times
Ocean Planning Update: Regional Planning Body Meeting, November 12-13th
September 13, 2013 –The next Northeast Regional Planning Body (NE RPB) meeting will be held in Boston on November 12-13. This meeting will primarily focus on discussing and approving revised regional ocean planning goals/objectives and an accompanying draft work plan. More logistics and agenda information will be posted on the RPB meeting page in the coming weeks.
Other updates include:
– An RFP for public engagement services is posted online. Responses are due October 7.
– Over the summer, the NE RPB had two conference calls for internal updates and coordination. Summaries of these two calls are posted on the RPB meeting page.
– A draft work plan, along with revisions to the regional ocean planning goals and objectives, will be posted online in advance of the November RPB meeting. Work groups consisting of RPB members/staff are being organized to focus on specific topics to help form the work plan.
– The ocean planning website and the NE RPB page are being revised to provide additional information for ongoing projects, an updated calendar of events, and other changes. We will send you an announcement of this new web page when it becomes available.
– The Northeast Ocean Data Portal is scheduled to be updated in the next couple of weeks with new data related to shipping vessel traffic, transmission lines, maintained shipping channels, and the recreational boating survey.
National Research Council Report fuels Giacalone’s fishing testimony
September 13, 2013 — He had already finished preparing his testimony last week for the congressional committee on the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act when the National Research Council report on rebuilding fish stocks fell into his lap like manna from heaven.
With that, Gloucester’s Vito Giacalone went to Washington with a little more credibility in his Wednesday testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources.
“I thought (the NRC report) was notable enough to take up a portion of my five minutes,” Giacalone said Thursday of his testimony. “Who cares what ‘Guido’ has to say? They want to know what the NRC has to say.”
Clearly, the committee wanted to hear exactly what Giacalone had to say, both as a long-time commercial fisherman and as policy director for the Gloucester-based Northeast Seafood Coalition.
But it also didn’t hurt the coalition’s cause that many of the conclusions of the recently released NRC report dovetailed nicely with what Giacalone wanted to impart to the committee members — particularly on issues related to scientific uncertainty and the need for more flexibility in managing stocks.
“The basic management strategy set forth in (Magnuson-Stevens) places demands on science that far exceed its capacity in the case of Northeast groundfish,” Giacalone testified. “In many ways, it feels like our fishery is the poster child for their findings and recommendations.”
The NRC report’s findings, which also complimented NOAA in its efforts to rebuild U.S. fish stocks, highlighted the limitations of the science used in the rebuilding and questioned the value of the 10-year timelines imposed by Magnuson-Stevens.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times
Fish Landings: September 12, 2013
September 12, 2013 — The Buyers And Sellers Exchange (BASE), an electronic auctioning company that sells landings at owner Whaling City Seafood Display Auction in New Bedford, Boston’s Whaling City Auction, and Gloucester’s Whaling City Auction, handled 69,700 pounds of fish and 30,800 pounds of scallops Tuesday.
The Portland, Maine, Display Auction handled 44,000 pounds of fish Tuesday.
No landings were reported Wednesday at the New England Fish Exchange in Boston.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times
Fishing ranked Australia’s riskiest job
September 12, 2013 — Commercial fishing has beaten truck driving and farming to claim the dubious honour of Australia's most dangerous job.
Fishing tops a list of risky occupations mainly because of the dangers of working on the high seas.
"Working out at sea is widely known as the most dangerous job in the world, and 17 times more dangerous than mining," a statement from lifeinsurancefinder.com.au said.
Truck driving comes in second on this year's list, followed by farming, mining and construction.
In sixth place are tree loppers, who face "the threat of overhead electric wires, unsteady branches and working with chainsaws" on a daily basis, the site said.
Rounding out the top ten is military work, firefighting, airline pilots and garbage collectors.
Read the full story at 9 News National