Saving Seafood

Cape Cod lobstermen get free gear to protect endangered right whales

March 22, 2021 — Provincetown lobsterman Bill Souza walked back to his truck carrying a swag bag filled with what looked to be fluorescent orange bucatini. They were like the “bamboo finger trap” puzzles he’d seen as a kid, Souza explained, pulling one “noodle” out of the bag.

The weave on the fabric expanded as Souza stuck a finger in one end of the hollow piece of rope known as a South Shore Sleeve. As he tried to pull his finger out, the weave on the fabric tightened, gripping his finger until he pulled hard enough for it to let go.

This was not a child’s toy that the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, the Lobster Foundation of Massachusetts and the state Division of Marine Fisheries were handing out to fishermen gathered Friday at the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance building. These sleeves and spools of red 3/8-inch rope were developed and given to fishermen around the state to introduce them to the gear they will be using in the coming fishing season. That change is part of a suite of measures passed by the state Marine Fisheries Commission to comply with a judge’s order to reduce entanglements of endangered right whales in state waters.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Beware ’30×30′ in federal climate bill

January 27, 2021 — 30×30, a major provision in the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act that would ban all commercial fishing in at least 30 percent of U.S. oceans by 2030, has drawn widespread opposition by fishermen and fisheries scientists since it was introduced in the House of Representatives last year. In a letter to Congress last November, over 800 participants in the U.S. seafood economy wrote that 30×30 “would undermine our nation’s world-class system of fisheries management.” 

In an open letter to Congress last December, a group of fisheries scientists wrote that 30×30 “is not based on the best scientific information available” and “will decrease flexibility of the fishery management system to adapt to climate change.” 

The following is excerpted from an article by Doreen Leggett, communications officer at the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, published by Wicked Local:

Commercial fishermen rely on the sea and are often more aware of the changing ocean environment than anyone else.

Take fisherman Kurt Martin of Orleans. For close to three decades he has kept daily logs of everything from where he fishes to weather conditions, water temperatures and depth.

A few things stand out: Fog that was virtually synonymous with Chatham is becoming a rarity, summer ocean temperatures have increased about 10 degrees and walking around an iced-in Pleasant Bay come Christmas is a distant memory.

Meanwhile, the lobster fishery south of the Cape is much diminished while Canada’s is growing as warmer water pushes north. Martin said the lobster fishery on the Cape is “stable” now.

“But we are basically on the edge of disaster. We can definitely see the trend of the shift being made.”

Climate change has pushed commercial fishermen to change their business plans, the way they fish, what they fish for, even their home ports. But when far-reaching climate legislation was drafted and filed in the House of Representatives last year (by a representative from Arizona), fishermen were shut out of the conversations. They may be shut out of their fishing grounds as well.

There are many positives in the 300-page bill, but one section would harm fishing communities across the nation, hamstring buy-local movements, increase seafood imports, and complicate efforts to combat climate change.

The initiative, dubbed 30×30, a focal point in the House version of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, would require “protection” of at least 30 percent of U.S. oceans by 2030 by banning “all commercial extractive use” in broad swaths of the ocean, circumventing the country’s sustainable fishery management process. (Specific areas have not yet been identified.)

Read the full article at Wicked Local

DOREEN LEGGETT: The Fishing Life: Beware ’30×30′ in federal climate bill

January 26, 2021 — Commercial fishermen rely on the sea and are often more aware of the changing ocean environment than anyone else.

Take fisherman Kurt Martin of Orleans. For close to three decades he has kept daily logs of everything from where he fishes to weather conditions, water temperatures and depth.

A few things stand out: Fog that was virtually synonymous with Chatham is becoming a rarity, summer ocean temperatures have increased about 10 degrees and walking around an iced-in Pleasant Bay come Christmas is a distant memory.

Meanwhile, the lobster fishery south of the Cape is much diminished while Canada’s is growing as warmer water pushes north. Martin said the lobster fishery on the Cape is “stable” now.

“But we are basically on the edge of disaster. We can definitely see the trend of the shift being made.”

Read the full opinion piece at Wicked Local

MASSACHUSETTS: A lifeline to the next generation of fishermen

December 22, 2020 — Ken Baughman has fished since he was a kid and loves being on the water. The Falmouth resident, smart and determined, bought a second-hand motor, built his own boat and launched his career as a commercial fisherman this summer.

It has been tough going.

 “It’s virtually impossible. You really have to come in as an apprentice,” he said.

That may soon be a possibility as the Young Fishermen’s Development Act passed Congress this week.

The act, modeled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s successful Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, creates the first federal program dedicated to training  the next generation of commercial fishermen and includes an apprenticeship program to connect retiring fishermen and vessel owners with new and beginning fishermen.

It provides education in sustainable and accountable fishing practices, marine stewardship, successful business practices, and technical initiatives that address the needs of beginning fishermen through a competitive grants program for collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally-based networks or partnerships.

“The Young Fishermen’s Development Act is crucial to the success of the Cape’s small-boat fleets and the communities that rely on commercial fishing, an industry that helped build the peninsula and is a vital part of the new blue economy,” said John Pappalardo, CEO of the Chatham-based Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance.

Read the full story at Wicked Local

Congress passes Young Fishermen’s Development Act for the new generation

December 22, 2020 — The passage by Congress this month of the Young Fishermen’s Development Act creates a $2 million annual grant fund to train and foster the next generation of U.S. commercial fishermen.

Twin bills H.R 1240 and S. 496 passed with bipartisan support, five years after the concept was first proposed by the Fishing Communities Coalition, a national advocacy group with membership of more than 1,000 independent fishermen and seafood-related business owners in small-boat fishing communities from Maine to Alaska.

Authorized for the next six years, the program to be administered through Sea Grant will allow “fishing associations, universities, tribal organizations, and others to compete for grant funding to train young commercial fishermen in sustainable fishing and business practices,” according to the coalition. “It solidifies and unites current piecemeal training efforts into a cohesive, national initiative to advance this critical mission.”

The program is modeled on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s successful Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, helping entry-level agriculture. Advocates say it’s a critical response to demographic shifts in some fisheries and fishing communities. In some regions like New England the average age of fishermen has shifted upward by 10 years compared to earlier generations – a “greying of the fleet” that portends problems for the industry’s long-term prospects.

The annual $2 million budget will be fully paid for from fines paid by fishermen who violate fishery regulations. Grants will run up to three years, be capped at $200,000 annually and cannot be used to purchase fishing permits, quota, or other harvesting rights.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Industry tackles the role of fish monitors

October 12, 2020 — Commercial fishermen invest a great deal in their businesses, both in terms of money — boats, equipment and crew to name a few expenses – as well as time — marketing, selling and scouting, again to name just a few tasks.

They also invest in the industry’s future, weighing in on myriad edicts that make commercial fishing one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country.

So when Congressman Jared Huffman, D-California, took his Magnuson-Stevens Act listening tour to New England – albeit virtually on account of the pandemic – Captain Eric Hesse was there. Hesse, representing the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, was appreciative of the chance to share thoughts.

“We all have things we think about and we muse about as we spend our time on the water and certainly accountability in New England’s groundfishery is one of those big issues for me,” Hesse said, sitting at his computer late last month, pictures of his boats in the background.

Accountability – keeping strict tabs on the catch – has been talked about for decades. Hesse, who has monitoring cameras on his boat for every trip, believes that 100 percent coverage would drive better science and help bring back the iconic cod fishery. Others disagree on the need for full coverage either through human observers or cameras.

Read the full story at Wicked Local

Seafood Industry Sinking From Virus Fallout Pleads for Bailouts

July 10, 2020 — Seafood processors and fishers struggling with falling prices and disappearing markets during the coronavirus pandemic are pushing for federal bailouts following a government directive to send aid to New England’s lobster industry.

“We’re all scared. We’ve got tons of money wrapped up in these businesses,” said Nick Muto, the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance chairman and an independent small-boat captain dealing in groundfish and lobster. “We’re definitely hoping for some help here from the federal government,” Muto added. “But I’m leery to bet on it.”

Restaurant closures, mandated by local officials nationwide to slow the rate of infection, decimated seafood vendors’ sales. Now, some states beginning to relax restrictions are seeing a resurgence of Covid-19 cases—just as the industry tries to recoup its losses.

Read the full story at Bloomberg Law

With restaurants closed, New England fishing industry grinds to a halt

April 6, 2020 — Over the past few months, Tim Linnell has spent countless hours and thousands of dollars installing dredges and other expensive equipment on his steel dragger, preparing with hundreds of other fishermen across the region for the upcoming season.

Then the market for his catch cratered, like so many other businesses in recent weeks.

Now, the 52-year-old fisherman — saddled with mortgages on his two boats, hefty docking fees, and a host of other expenses — has nowhere to sell the mussels he would have caught.

“This is just going to be an economic disaster for us,” said Linnell, who has been fishing from Chatham for 30 years and whose three sons, fishermen all, face similar pressures. “I’ll probably be put out of business soon.”

With restaurants throughout the world closed due to the coronavirus, the region’s lobstermen, scallopers, and others who land much of the nation’s $5.6 billion commercial catch are facing economic devastation, with many forced to tie up or store their boats in dry dock until the market rebounds.

“No market equals no fishing,” said John Pappalardo, chief executive of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance. “Markets are disintegrating daily.”

In a recent letter to President Trump and congressional leaders, representatives of the commercial fishing industry said the closure of much of the nation’s economy has put tens of thousands of jobs in jeopardy, including those who process, package, distribute, and cook fish.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Highlighting Women in Electronic Technologies: Part 2

March 27, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Electronic monitoring and electronic reporting technologies are being developed to support science-based management decisions in commercial and recreational fisheries. NOAA Fisheries is working with fishermen and industry organizations, fishery management councils, and many other partners. We will improve the timeliness, quality, cost effectiveness, and accessibility of fishery-dependent data by integrating technology into fishery reporting and monitoring programs. Learn about nine women from around the country that are helping shape the future of electronic technologies in U.S fisheries.

Mel Sanderson
Chief Operating Officer
Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance
Chatham, Massachusetts

Originally from Minnesota, Mel Sanderson received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Occidental College. She earned her master’s of coastal environmental management from Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment. While in graduate school, Mel interned with the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association (now the Fishermen’s Alliance). The following October, the Alliance asked if she wanted to come back after she graduated to manage a new cooperative research project that she helped design while interning. Almost 16 years later, she’s still there. She works to ensure the sustainability of both the fisheries and the small fishing businesses that rely upon them. She has held almost every role at the Fishermen’s Alliance—a direct consequence of always being willing to say yes to whatever needed to be done in a small non-profit. She also has great bosses that support her need for a fresh challenge every few years.

In her role, Mel manages the regional electronic monitoring (EM) pre-implementation project for New England groundfish. She contracts with EM service providers and coordinates with NOAA and more than 20 fishermen. Together, they design, troubleshoot, and refine the EM audit model program design.

Read the full release here

NOAA: Gulf of Maine skate makes comeback

January 6, 2020 — After nine years in a rebuilding plan with strict management, including a prohibition on landings, Gulf of Maine smooth skate was declared rebuilt in 2018.

The declaration was included in “Status of U.S. Fisheries Annual Report to Congress,” prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and submitted to lawmakers this fall.

The report details the status of 479 federally managed stocks or stock complexes in the U.S. in an effort to identify which stocks are subject to overfishing, are overfished, or are rebuilt to sustainable levels.

Building on a trend of the past few years, the report noted that the vast majority of U.S. fish stocks were at sustainable population levels in 2018, and the number of U.S. fish stocks subject to overfishing remains at a near all-time low.

According to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, the Northeast skate complex fishery includes seven skate species and operates from Maine to North Carolina. The bottom-dwelling, kite-shaped skate is taken with long lines and gill nets, both as a targeted fishery and as by catch.

Read the full story at Wicked Local