Gov. Patrick released the following statement on the NEFMC scallop decision. “Chairman Pappalardo and the New England Fisheries Management Council did right today by Massachusetts scallopers," said Governor Patrick. “By revisiting the scientific data and revising their previous decision on scallop catch, they struck a better balance for fishermen and the resource on which they depend. I look forward to continuing a strong partnership with the Council to use sound science and fair regulation to manage our precious fisheries resources. I also commend Congressman Barney Frank and New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang for their continued tireless advocacy on behalf of this industry and the families that depend upon it."
Council bows to pressure, rescinds scallop cuts
In a rare reversal of what was to have been a final decision, the New England Fishery Management Council on Wednesday rescinded its November decision and restored fishing days to the scallop fleet in the Northeast.
The contentious, 10-5 vote with two abstentions was made in a hotel ballroom packed with about 200 people, mostly fishermen from New Jersey to Maine and their supporters. Environmentalists on the council and from the audience derided the entire process, the media and politicians.
Council fishing analyst Dierdre Boelke made a lengthy PowerPoint presentation about the scientific basis for the staff's recommendations and defending the more conservative limits, but by mid-morning there was little doubt in the room about the outcome.
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Barney Frank’s Statement Concerning NEFMC Decision on Scallop Limits
Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) issued the following statement regarding the decision by the New England Fisheries Management Council to reverse its earlier decision on scallop fishing limits.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Barney Frank today released the following statement about the decision by the New England Fisheries Management Council to reverse an earlier decision on scallop fishing limits.
“I would like to thank the Council for revisiting and overturning the November decision. The plan they have chosen puts the limit on scallop harvests at a level that the Council’s own planned development team and science and statistical committee said is sustainable. This decision will save jobs, help the local economy, and preserve scallops as an important sustainable fishery.”
“This positive step was initiated by thousands in the scallop industry who advocated passionately on their own behalf. I appreciate their hard work and also the efforts of Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Scott Lang, State Senator Bruce Tarr and State Representatives John Quinn and William Strauss, who fought for this fair decision. Additionally, I want to express my gratitude to all the members who signed the letter I initiated to Secretary Locke asking him to reverse the November Council decision, especially my Massachusetts colleagues, Senators Kerry and Kirk, and Congressmen John Tierney, Jim McGovern, and Mike Capuano. Finally, I wish to thank the 10 council members who supported the today’s proposal.”
Click here to read the original letter to Secretary Gary Locke.
NEFMC statement on reversal of decision on scallop rules
The New England Fishery Management Council has released the following statement on the Council's unprecedented decision to reverse its November decision on scallop rules.
PORTSMOUTH, NH – January 27, 2010 – Following almost six hours of presentations and discussions, the New England Fishery Management Council in an unprecedented action reversed a November 2009 decision about rules for harvesting sea scallops in 2010. The Council’s action will give the east coast scallopers nine more “open area” days-at-sea, along with the four “access area” trips that were also included in the November action. The new action was approved in a 10-5 vote, with two abstentions.
The Council was swayed by elected officials and the testimony of fishermen who presented compelling economic arguments about the importance of profits to their businesses and communities during the next year, in view of the impacts of a serious recession, versus the long-term benefits that are expected to accrue after 2010.
The Council’s choice of a 0.20 fishing mortality target in November for 2010 was heavily influenced by the high fishing mortality rates that were estimated to have occurred over the last two years. (Fishing mortality rates represent the percentage of a stock removed by fishing each year.)
Of importance is that a target of 0.20 was also set during 2008-2009, but preliminary Scallop Plan Development Team analyses indicate fishing was occurring at higher rates which are projected to be at or just above the overfishing threshold of 0.29. If the fishing mortality rate is higher than the threshold, overfishing is occurring – an outcome the Council is required to prevent to be consistent with the current federal statute that governs fishing activities.
Council members this month agreed that the risk of overfishing, while higher with the choice approved today, was acceptable in terms of the economic costs associated with the alternative approved in late fall. Both choices were supported scientifically by the Council’s Scallop Plan Development Team, a group that provides technical advice to the Council on management actions that address rules that have and will apply to one of the region’s most lucrative fishery.
The New England Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils established by federal legislation in 1976, is charged with conserving and managing fishery resources from three to 200 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Fish council eases scallop catch limit
Scallopers all along the New England and Middle Atlantic coasts achieved a landmark victory yesterday when the federal regional fishery managers reversed an earlier vote and approved a new 2010 catch plan that can yield an estimated $41 million at the dock and multiples of that to port economies.
"The key thing was the groundfishermen said they would work with the scallopers to make this happen," said Rich Canastra, an owner of the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction.
"We don't want yellowtail to trip a $40 million loss in scallops," Vito Giacalone, the Gloucester industry analyst and informal spokesman for the groundfishing fleet, told the council.
In the hours before the final vote, groundfishing interests from Maine and around to the southern New England coast centered Point Judith, R.I., let the councilors know they were good with the concession to the scallopers.
The decision by Pappalardo to allow the council to vote on redoing their November action on scallops was induced by a degree and style of pressure that stuck uncomfortably in the craw of a number of members, and left others to ponder how and where trust was lost.
Regulators Roll Back Northeast Scallop Cuts
Northeast fisheries regulators on Wednesday rolled back sharp scallop catch cuts after heavy political pressure and fishing industry protests drove them to reconsider.
The New England Fishery Management Council voted 10-5 to adopt more lenient rules that restore a 22 percent cut in the number of fishing days, which scallopers said could have cost them hundred of thousands of dollars per boat.
The council initially refused to reconsider, but that changed after Gov. Deval Patrick intervened with the council chair earlier this month.
Members who voted for the change Wednesday said they were correcting a mistake that would have caused a healthy industry major short-term pain for minimal gain. Council member David Pierce said the best science indicates scallopers wouldn't come close to overfishing the stock under more the lenient rules, but the council initially misunderstood it.
NEFMC Reverses Scallop Decision
The New England Fisheries Management Council has voted to reverse its controversial Novermber decision on Scallop regulations, selecting instead the less restrictive "F=0.24" option. The NEFMC took this action after considering opinions expressed by Gov. Deval Patrick, Congressman Barney Frank, New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang, Mass. State Senator Bruce Tarr, Mass. State Rep. William Strauss, Mass. State Rep. John Quinn, Mass. Sec'y of Energy and Environment Ian Bowles, Mass. Director of Fisheries Paul Diodati, 15 other Members of Congress, and over 1000 industry members and others.
OPINION: Inspector General’s report shows NOAA has lost its way by Atty. Stephen Ouellette
The results of the Inspector General's investigation confirms concerns that many members of the fishing community have raised for 10 years with congressional delegations — the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an agency out of step, if not outright adversarial with the industry it is supposed to be working to preserve and protect.
The abuses in law enforcement are but one, serious manifestation of the problem.
The IG's reports and NOAA's promise of a fix offer little satisfaction to those who have left or been forced from the industry by action of, or fear of action by, NOAA law enforcement and its Office of the General Counsel.
While NOAA has promised to review the law enforcement issue, this should not cloud the larger picture — the hostile atmosphere within the agency that allowed these abuses to occur for over a decade, and which threatens the viability of the entire commercial fishing industry and fishing communities.
Fishery Council faces scallop limit showdown
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A showdown over scallop limits — one that began building two months ago and turned abruptly in the office of Gov. Deval Patrick more than two weeks ago — careens toward a climax today at a meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council.
In the second day of the three-day session, the scallop catch plan for the New England and Middle Atlantic regions is first on the agenda, at 8:30 a.m.
Looking on is likely to be the largest audience in recent council history — including Scott Lang, mayor of New Bedford, who has led the fight against a conservative scallop catch decision, and in insurgency that's come to include industry and political forces from as far away as Virginia and the Carolinas.
NH candidates sought for fishery council
DURHAM — The state of New Hampshire has been notified by the National Marine Fisheries Service of vacancies for New Hampshire's obligatory seat and two at-large seats for the New England Fishery Management Council. New Hampshire's obligatory seat is currently held by David Goethel.
To assist in filling these vacancies, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Marine Fisheries Division will host a candidates' interview night on Monday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth.
Potential candidates must be prepared to present their qualifications at the session. Interested candidates should contact Doug Grout, chief of Marine Fisheries for the Fish and Game Department, at 868-1095.