January 23, 2020 — The US’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has yet to give New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Blue Harvest Fisheries the approval it needs to acquire 15 groundfish vessels and their related skiffs and permits from Carlos Rafael, CEO Keith Decker told Undercurrent News on Wednesday.
“At this point we do not have NOAA’s approval,” he said, adding that he believes it is the last thing needed before announcing completion of the deal.
Undercurrent asked Decker for a status report on the agreement when it caught up with him here on the sidelines of the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Market Conference where he is one of more than 400 attendees. Look for many more details from our exclusive interview soon.
As first reported by Undercurrent, Blue Harvest, a US scallop and groundfish supplier backed by Bregal Partners, a New York City-based private investment firm, struck a deal in November that would have it pay $19.3 million to obtain a substantial part of former fishing mogul Rafael’s fleet in New Bedford. The agreement promises to give Blue Harvest millions of pounds of quota of Atlantic cod, haddock, plaice, redfish, hake, flounder and pollock.