WAKEFIELD, Mass. — December 20, 2012 — The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) met to review and select final measures for inclusion in Framework Adjustment 48 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management plan.
Saving Seafood has made available extensive audio highlights from the meeting which are accessible at the links below.
The Boston Globe produced a brief video of some of the anger that erupted at the meeting.
Among other issues in the framework, the NEFMC was scheduled to finalize acceptable biological catch and annual catch limits for groundfish for fishing year 2013 and beyond, as well as determine vessel access areas that did not previously permit groundfish trawling.
While the council voted to grant individual sectors the ability to amend Sector Operations Plans so that groundfish fishermen could have access to closed areas, a final decision regarding catch limits was postponed until the NEFMC’s January meeting.
With cuts to the groundfish catch potentially reaching as high as 80% and the, industry-favored, 10% cut being deemed “out of order” by Council Chairman Rip Cunningham, the livelihoods of the fishermen who rely upon groundfish are still very much on the line.
Listen to Rich Canastra of Buyers And Sellers Exchange (BASE) New England, discuss the groundfish industry’s lack of consistency in their product and the diminishing market that has emerged as a result.
Listen to Shawn Machie of the fishing vessel Apollo, discuss quota prices and take issue with basing decisions that will cost fishermen their livelihoods on uncertain survey data.
Listen to David Leveille, the manager of Northeast Fishery Sector II, discuss how the reported landings within his sector are not appropriately reflected in the current science.
Listen to Jeffrey Stieb, the Executive Director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission, read a letter written by Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford on the upcoming council action.
Listen to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Regional Administrator, John Bullard, discuss scallop and groundfish landings, the resource-sharing agreement with Canada and the competence of the fishermen in their ability to avoid unwanted catch.
Listen to Maggie Raymond, of Associated Fisheries of Maine, discuss NOAA and other agency’s lack of investigation into unknown environmental fishing mortality factors.
Listen to the Director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Dr. Bill Karp, respond to Maggie Raymond’s comment regarding unknown environmental fishing mortality factors.
Listen to Jim Odlin of Atlantic Trawlers Fishing, discuss the effect of the surveys on the United States and Canada sharing agreement.
Listen to Vito Giacalone of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, discuss the fishing industry’s economic instability.
Listen to Peter Shelley of the Conservation Law Foundation, threaten to sue the NEFMC if they pass a committee motion to adopt a constant harvest strategy.
Listen to Rich Canastra of Buyers And Sellers Exchange (BASE) New England, discuss stock assessment uncertainty, the Science Center’s mistreatment of stock assessment scientist, Dr. Doug Butterworth, and Peter Shelley’s threatened lawsuit.
Listen to Carlos Rafael, owner of Carlos Seafood in New Bedford, discuss his substantial investment in a fishing industry “on it’s last leg.”
Listen to Gloucester Fisherman, Mark Carroll’s emotional plea to the Council, whose cuts will likely put him and many other fishermen out of business.
Listen to Jim Kendall of New Bedford seafood consulting, take issue with the flawed stock assessment surveys.
Listen to Shawn Machie of the fishing vessel Apollo, discuss his dissatisfaction with NOAA’s survey vessel, the Bigelow, and its inability to locate what he claims to be a plentiful stock of yellowtail flounder.
Listen to Christopher Brown, President of the Rhode Island Commerical Fishermen’s Association, discuss the Science Center’s mistreatment of stock assessment scientist, Dr. Doug Butterworth and the need for an emergency yellowtail stock assessment.
Listen to NEFSC Director, Dr. Bill Karp, respond to Christopher Brown’s comments and address some of the public’s concerns.
Listen to Jackie Odell, the executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, discuss the shock and uncertainty felt throughout the fishing industry within the past couple weeks.
Listen to Ellen Goethel of the fishing vessel Ellen Diane in New Hampshire, discuss her view of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, with an emphasis on coastal communities and their economic well-being.
Listen to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Regional Administrator, John Bullard, respond to the heartfelt and emotional pleas of the fishermen
Listen to Groundfish Committee member, David Goethel, respond to Council Chairman Rip Cunningham’s ruling, which determined the 10% cut to the groundfish catch to be “out of order.”