Washington

Saying that the Amendment would cause massive fisheries closure from North Carolina to Florida and result in significant economic harm, U.S. Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3), Senator Richard Burr and Congressman Mike McIntyre (NC-7) asked U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to direct the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to reconsider its recent decision on Amendment 17B to the Snapper-Grouper Management Plan. The text of the lawmakers' release follows: WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week unless changed, Amendment 17B would close U.S. waters from 240 foot depth to 200 miles offshore, from Florida to North Carolina, in an attempt to protect two fish species – speckled hind and warsaw grouper – for which there are no valid stock assessments. The closure would have a significant negative impact on fishermen and fishing communities. Jones, McIntyre and Burr joined the five members of the South Atlantic Council who voted against Amendment 17B in arguing that the Council acted on unacceptably limited data and ignored reasonable alternatives. In a letter to Secretary Locke sent on June 1st, Jones, McIntyre and Burr ask the Secretary to direct the South Atlantic Council to reconsider Amendment 17B at its next meet meeting and to direct the Council to consider less restrictive alternatives that will both protect the species and allow fishermen reasonable access. The text of the letter follows: Dear Secretary Locke: We are writing to express our extreme disappointment with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s decision to close the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from 240’ depth seaward to the end of the EEZ at 200 miles offshore to protect two species of fish – speckled hind and warsaw grouper – for which there are no valid stock assessments. The Council’s action was based on unacceptably limited data and ignored reasonable alternatives that would have far less impact on fishing families already reeling from the economic downturn. The five members of the Council who voted against Amendment 17B to the Snapper-Grouper Management Plan filed a minority opinion which reveals the systemic flaws with the Council’s proposal. We are writing to request that you review this opinion – a copy of which is attached – and take immediate action to instruct the South Atlantic Council to reconsider Amendment 17B at its June meeting. As the minority opinion makes clear, the impacts of the closure mandated by this proposal “will have devastating economic effect on the states, primarily on those who participate in commercial fisheries in North Carolina and Florida, and the industries that support recreational fishing primarily in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. We believe the negative economic impact is way out of proportion given the lack of quality stock assessments based on very little data available.” In fact, the last stock assessment on speckled hind was completed years ago, and over years ago for warsaw grouper! We believe strongly that imposing such a massive closure on the basis of such limited science is unacceptable. Furthermore, we are troubled that the Council did not fully consider other alternatives that may be just as likely to protect the species, while not putting large numbers of fishing families out of business. Among other things, we are particularly concerned that options were not considered to allow participation in the blueline tilefish fishery in North Carolina, where there is little to no contact with speckled hind and warsaw grouper.   Therefore, we again ask you to direct the Council to reconsider Amendment 17B at its June meeting, while ensuring that all Council members and senior Council staff are fully aware of the minority opinion. We also ask that you direct the Council to consider less restrictive alternatives that will both protect the species and allow fisherman reasonable access, particularly to the blueline tilefish fishery in North Carolina. If the Council is not able to reconsider its decision, then we request that you take action to ensure an appropriate outcome. Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to your response.        

The giving away of Public Commonwealth to special interests, Catch Shares and the push toward them by NOAA – regardless of standards of the nation’s fishing laws, and despite Constitutional rights – have become a hotter topic by the day.  Recently, the chairman of the U.S. House finance committee, leading Democrat Cong. Barney Frank has put everything on the line and challenged the Obama Administration to get the fishing industry problems straightened out or it will have serious consequences regarding how Frank and others support the Administration.

U.S. Congressman Barney Frank has joined Massachusetts’s New Bedford mayor Scott Lang and others by pushing the Obama Administration to uphold the laws of the United States regarding Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act standards.

Read the full blog at the Groundswell Fisheries Movement

 

 

EDITORIAL NOTE:  The Gloucester Times updated this story after the print edition was published with additional quotes from lawmakers.

The virtual blackout of information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for nearly two months on its response to evidence of potential corruption and obstruction of justice by the former chief of its ocean police was greeted Friday with anger and disappointment.

The contrast between the heavy-handed approach to policing the fishing fleet, which emerged as a defining characteristic of NOAA law enforcement in the report of the Commerce Department's Inspector General , and the acquiescence of NOAA to the oil industry and other agencies to banking was cited in criticism of the agency's decision against releasing information about the status of former chief Dale Jones and other questions.

Read the entire story in The Gloucester Times

 

 

In the wake of the release of the draft working paper for the pollock assessment which concluded that “the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring," Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has called upon Obama Administration Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to immediately begin proceedings to raise the allowable catch.

Noting that the working paper is not a formal determination, the Governor stated "…it seems likely that there will be scientific justification for immediately increasing the pollock annual catch level. Such an action will prevent low pollock limits from causing early closures of groundfish sectors and significant socioeconomic impacts on the Commonwealth’s groundfish fishing industry."

The Governor asked the secretary to see to it "that proceedings begin immediately to raise the allowable catch limit to a level as high as possible while avoiding overfishing, as dictated by the new science."

He asked that this be done either through the secretary's "..executive authority or through action by the New England Fishery Management Council, whichever can provide the quickest remedy."

Copies of the letter were sent to both Massachusetts U.S. Senators, all coastal U.S. representatives, Massachusetts State senators and representatives with fisheries interests, the Speaker of the Massachusetts House, the President of the Massachusetts Senate, and the Mayors of New Bedford and Gloucester, NOAA Undersecretary Jane Lubchenco, NMFS  Administrator Eric Schwaab. NMFS Regional Administrator Patricia Kurkul and John Pappalardo, Chair of the New England Fishery Management Counci.

 Read the Governor's letter

Congressman Barney Frank, a fishing industry advocate and architect of the House's banking reform bill, told a radio audience Tuesday he was giving the Commerce Secretary until next week to redress fishing industry grievances, or he'll take his appeal directly to the Obama White House.

Frank said he has so advised White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual, adding if Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke has not produced a satisfactory response to a personal appeal two weeks ago by 13 representatives of a 23 member bi-partisan alliance of East Coast lawmakers, "we'll be going to the White House."

Frank issued his challenge in an appearance on New Bedford's WBSM on the same day the national press began analyzing Frank's possible role in the reconciliation this summer of House and Senate versions of the high-profile banking reform bill.

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Senator Olympia Snowe's office has issued the following release: WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) on May 26 announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded the Maine Department of Marine Resources $1 million in federal funding to establish a permit banking program for Maine’s groundfishing industry.

“The establishment of a new permit banking program in Maine is vital to helping to stem the flow of fishing vessels out-of-state that has left Maine with just 70 active groundfish boats, and bolster fishery access and production for Maine’s smaller fishing communities, which have been hit hard by the economic downturn,” Senator Snowe said. “This funding is extremely welcome news that will go a long way in helping to ensure a strong, diverse future for Maine’s fishing industry.”

The funding will establish a pilot permit banking program to buy permits that will help retain access for Maine’s small boat fleets that hail from small coastal communities.  Specifically, the funds will be used to acquire multispecies limited access permits to encourage fishing opportunities throughout the state and prevent additional migration of fishing jobs to ports to the south.

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said Tuesday he will be back in the White House to demand changes in fisheries regulation by next week unless Commerce Secretary Gary Locke takes some action on the matter this week.

Meanwhile, NOAA announced last Monday that as of May 27 there will be sharp reductions in the daily landing limits for five fish species. The limits apply to boats that elected not to join sectors and are still fishing under “days at sea” rules.

Frank told a radio audience that he has already spoken once to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel about the fisheries issue, and he said he told him he would pursue it even as the congressman prepares to convene a financial regulation committee to deal with the nation’s banking crisis.

Frank and many others have been frustrated by the refusal of fishing regulators at NOAA, which is part of Commerce, to relax any of the strict new regulations that were imposed May 1 along with sharp reductions in permit allocations.

“If they set out to discredit the notion of catch shares they couldn’t have done a better job than they’re doing,” said Frank, who last week announced he would write a “friend of the court” brief backing New Bedford’s lawsuit against the Commerce Department.

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The NOAA announcement, said local boat owner Carlos Rafael (who has all of his boats in sectors) confirms what he and others predicted for the boats in the common pool: a fishing derby and a rapid exhaustion of the meager allocations awarded to the pool vessels by the government.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its notice that as of May 18, less than three weeks into the fishing year, the pool boats had already landed one-third of their annual share of winter flounder, 13.7 percent of the Georges Bank haddock, 11.2 percent of the Georges Bank winter flounder, and 24.4 percent of the Georges Bank yellowtail.

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription site]

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U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today determined there has been a fishery disaster in the Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial and recreational fisheries from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The affected area includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

“We are taking this action today because of the potentially significant economic hardship this spill may cause fishermen and the businesses and communities that depend on those fisheries,” Locke said. “The disaster determination will help ensure that the Federal government is in a position to mobilize the full range of assistance that fishermen and fishing communities may need.”

Locke made the determination under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.  The declaration was made in response to requests from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour based on the loss of access to many commercial fisheries and the existing and anticipated environmental damage from this unprecedented event.

Read the complete story at The Destin Log.

 

 

 

 

 

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) yesterday announced that he will file an amicus curiae brief in support of the pending lawsuit by the cities of New Bedford and Gloucester regarding the Obama administration’s proposed catch share program. Frank also said that he plans to organize Members of Congress to join the brief.

The catch share program, supported by NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenko, creates a de facto privatization of ocean resources. Where catch shares have been implemented, the inevitable result is the concentration of public trust fisheries into the hands of few big corporate fishing operations.

“The fact that the Obama administration has so far refused our request to increase allocations for this fishing season makes the catch share program completely unworkable,” said Frank. “Catch shares is a controversial and radical change, and to institute this new system while also drastically reducing catch allocations guarantees that it would be devastating to the fishing industry. For this reason, I will support the cities’ lawsuit.”

Frank spoke with Mayor Lang yesterday to discuss the lawsuit and they will continue to work closely on this issue.

Read the complete story at Alter Net.

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this month, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation in the Senate that would amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to require oil polluters to pay the full cost of oil spills, raising the liability cap from $75 million to $10 billion. If passed, the law would be retroactive to April 15, 2010, and so would cover the current Gulf oil spill, which took place on April 22.

Senator Menendez has some heavy hitters in the Senate signed on to the bill, including fellow New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg. Companion legislation is also moving through the House, sponsored by New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt (D-12th district); Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th district, NJ) is a co-sponsor.

Even before the massive disaster in the Gulf, Menendez and Lautenberg have been vocal in their opposition to offshore drilling. At the end of March, the Obama administration announced plans to open up the Atlantic seaboard as far north as Delaware to offshore drilling. Menendez said that he has let the administration know that "off-shore drilling is a non-starter" for him. Senator Lautenberg has also expressed concerns about the threat that such endeavors pose to New Jersey beaches and the tourism trade.

Read the complete story at The Newark Progressive Examiner.