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MASSACHUSETTS: SMAST opening draws interest nationally

October 2, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The official opening of the second SMAST facility created ripple effects beyond its location on South Rodney French Boulevard.

Construction crews erected SMAST East at a cost of $55 million. The names on the guest list, which packed into the first floor of the 64,000 square foot building Friday, displayed its incalculable value to the SouthCoast.

From the political arena, Cong. Bill Keating, Sen. Mark Montigny, Rep. Antonio Cabral and Mayor Jon Mitchell addressed the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony. NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator and former New Bedford Mayor John Bullard and former dean of SMAST Brian Rothschild sat in attendance. Eastern Fisheries President Roy Enoksen and Executive Director of New Bedford Seafood Consulting Jim Kendall each listened to the 90-minute presentation that ended with a ribbon cutting.

“Today, you see evidence of UMass Dartmouth developing as a hub for the blue economy for all of New England,” UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert Johnson said.

The reach of the new research building extends beyond the northeast as well, particularly in Washington D.C.

“I happen to work with some people that may not be warming up to the idea of climate change is something that might occur,” Keating said. “So when I come here, I can bring some of that science back and try to work with some of my colleagues.”

Mitchell echoed those sentiments. The mayor spent Wednesday in the nation’s capital speaking to Congress on the reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act, which is the primary legislation that governs fisheries.

“What you do here in creating the basis of regulation matters a whole lot. It’s indeed indispensable. The industry couldn’t function well. It couldn’t flourish as it is, especially on the scallop side these days, if it didn’t have the science to back up our assertions,” Mitchell said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Cabral hopeful lobster bill will finally get passed, bring new jobs to New Bedford

April 3, 2017 — It was billed as a legislative lunch with the likes of U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, but much of a March 24 “legislative luncheon” at Seatrade International was actually about trying to hammer out an agreement on a bill governing the way you can sell lobsters in Massachusetts.

Other topics focused on policies that will govern the growth of the Port of New Bedford.

The luncheon had two parts, one public and one private. And the initial closed-door part, which besides Warren and Markey included the five members of New Bedford’s all Democratic House delegation, began with a heated debate over a lobster bill.

The bill (House Bill 2906) was co-sponsored by 13th Bristol District Rep. Antonio Cabral, who represents the downtown, South End and much of the waterfront. His proposed legislation would allow for the sale, processing and transport of lobster parts, which is already legal in Maine and New Hampshire but not Massachusetts.

“We’ve been trying to resolve this issue for some time,” Cabral said. “There was a bill during the last session, but we’ve made some progress.”

The packet handed to the attendees of the legislative lunch included two letters, one signed by Mayor Jon Mitchell and the other by Ed Anthes-Washburn, the executive director of the Harbor Development Committee. The letters supported two previous lobster bills that failed.

Anthes-Washburn’s letter, addressed to the State House, voiced support for Senate Bill S469 in 2015. After three readings and being passed to be engrossed by the Senate, the House sent it to the Committee on Ways and Means in 2016, where no further action was taken.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: House budget includes money for SMAST

April 29, 2016 — Next year’s state budget, passed by the House on Wednesday, includes increased funding for city public schools; money to expand fisheries research; and money for community programs.

“This is a big victory, I was able to secure most of what we asked for,” Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, D-New Bedford, said Thursday. The budget awaits approval by the state Senate.

Notable funds set to come the city’s way include $450,000 for fisheries research conducted by UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST).

“This is critically important,” said SMAST Dean Steven Lohrenz. “Funds have been tight lately so this will allow us to continue to do the kind of pioneering work we’ve been doing with our collaborative fisheries research.”

The research conducted by SMAST looks at ways to improve accuracy in fisheries data collection. Lohrenz said that the new funds will allow researchers to conduct new projects including video survey techniques of cod and other groundfish.

“Their progress with data collection is very important for our fisheries industry especially with federal regulations that could cut quotas for the next fishing cycle,” Cabral said. “We’re hoping down the road that they can do for ground fish what they did for the scallop industry.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

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