Saving Seafood

Soon-to-be Vacated Seat on Fisheries Council Should Be Held By A New Yorker, Lawmakers Say

May 14, 2021 — A seat on an interstate fisheries council that manages fish allocations among mid-Atlantic states will be vacated this summer, and top New York lawmakers are urging the federal government to keep a New Yorker in the post, Newsday has learned.

In a May 7 letter, Sen. Chuck Schumer told Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo it was “crucial” that she appoint a New Yorker to soon-to-be vacated seat on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The at-large seat is currently occupied by veteran sports fisherman and longtime council member Anthony DiLernia, whose term expires in August. Schumer, the Senate majority leader, said keeping a New Yorker in that seat is important because of “historically inequitable [council] rulings based on flawed science that have disproportionately harmed New York.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

Sen. Chuck Schumer Expresses Concern Over At-Sea Monitoring Redeployment, Says Health & Safety Must Come First

August 19, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY):

Dear Secretary Ross:

I write today to convey concerns regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) July 30, 2020 decision to resume the Northeast Fisheries Observers Program (NEFOP) and the At-Sea Monitoring Program (ASM) for the Northeast multispecies fishery amidst the ongoing global pandemic caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the health risks attributed to COVID-19. While these observer programs play a critical role in collecting the data that guides our fisheries management decisions, the health and safety of our fishermen, their families, and the observers must always come first. That’s why I was pleased when NOAA issued a March 24th, 2020 emergency action waiving observer coverage requirements established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and subsequent waivers to the program through August 14th. NOAA’s initial decision in March and its subsequent waivers were necessary to protect the health of commercial fishermen across the country, while allowing them to continue to do their job as essential food harvesters and producers. While I appreciate the initial steps NOAA has taken to protect our fishing community, the decision to redeploy observers has raised questions about whether observers can be deployed without putting the fishing community, and the observers, at risk. Before the agency moves forward, I request NOAA immediately report to me how NOAA plans to guarantee that federal health guidelines are maintained during the redeployment of observers to ensure the safety of captains, crews and observers.

In response to the pandemic, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) developed guidance to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also developed guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19. Guidance from both agencies include recommendations for daily health checks, face coverings, social distancing practices, improved ventilation, and isolation of employees who show COVID-like symptoms.

While some of these safety measures can be easily implemented on a small vessel, others such as isolating individuals with COVID-like symptoms will be challenging if not impossible on a small vessel. I have heard from a number of New York’s commercial fishermen who do not believe their vessels are large enough to maintain an appropriate level of social distancing from observers based on federal health guidelines. How does NOAA plan to ensure observers, fishermen, and providers are complying with OSHA and CDC recommendations so that the redeployment of observers will not pose a safety risk to the observer and fishing communities?

Read the full letter here

Louisiana lawmaker, others seek federal aid for U.S. seafood industry

May 7, 2020 — Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has joined a bipartisan group of 25 lawmakers in pushing for federal aid for fishermen and seafood processors hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

The lawmakers sent a letter today to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asking that upcoming coronavirus relief legislation include money and other support for the industry.

“Our seafood processors and fishermen have been dealt a significant economic blow as a result of coronavirus and are in desperate need of federal assistance,” the senators wrote. “It has been reported that many of the nation’s fisheries have suffered sales declines as high as 95 percent. In addition, while many other agricultural sectors have seen a significant increase in grocery sales, seafood has been left out of that economic upside, as stores have cut back on offerings.”

Read the full story at Houma Today

Report detailing enforcement abuses barred from fisherman’s trial

January 29, 2018 — The first criminal trial of a Long Island fisherman charged in connection with a federal probe of a controversial fish-auction program is set to begin, but a report detailing fisheries enforcement abuses by the government has been barred from the trial.

Lawyers for Northport fisherman Thomas Kokell, charged in a multi-count indictment with overharvesting fluke, argued in pretrial motions that a 2010 federal inspector general’s report detailing abuses and “overzealousness” by the National Marine Fisheries Service was vital to the defense.

The Environmental Crimes unit of the U.S. Department of Justice has reached plea agreements with seven Long Island and New York City fishermen and fish dealers in connection with the six-year probe.

Most have been charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy and false reporting crimes. Five received prison time or home detention, including a 74-year-old Mattituck fisherman charged with taking $78,000 in illegal fish. Fines and restitution have ranged from $150,000 to $932,000 and most lost their fishing or dealer permits.

In November 2016, Kokell was charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and falsification of federal records in connection with the illegal harvest of more than $400,000 worth of fluke. He is the first to fight the charges in court. The trial is set to begin next month.

His lawyers have argued that Kokell’s case should be handled as a civil, not criminal, case, citing findings from the inspector general’s report and the federal Magnuson-Stevens Act, which governs the fisheries.

Kokell, who was fined $120,000 in a 2006 case involving overfishing, had been a vocal critic of the marine fisheries agency‘s enforcement and legal practices.

He and his wife appeared with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at a Port Washington dock to demand action against the fisheries agency, a unit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read the full story at Newsday

 

Fishing advocates seek delay in new limits on fluke fishing

December 23, 2016 — Fishing advocates seeking to head off what they described as “devastating” reductions in the New York quota for fluke next year are calling on federal regulators to forestall planned 2017 cuts until a more current assessment of the fish population is completed.

Led by frequent fishing advocate Sen. Chuck Schumer, a group of 50 recreational and commercial fishing boat captains and advocates gathered at the Captree Boat Basin in Babylon Thursday to say a planned 30 percent reduction would threaten hundreds of businesses.

“The feds have once again dropped the ball,” Schumer said by using a benchmark study from 2013 and “ideological” assessments to set quotas for next year. “We were having enough trouble with the old limits.”

While the new limits won’t be finalized until the spring, state regulators have discussed sharp cuts to the number of fluke that fishers could take, from a current five per day to two, while increasing the minimum size limit to 19 inches from the current 18 inches, said Steve Witthuhn, a Montauk charterboat captain who sits on the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Marine Resources Advisory Council.

Worse, said Witthuhn and other sport-fishing boat captains, the tentative 2017 cuts would reduce the season to 80 days from the current 128, starting in June rather than May. The tentative season would end 15 days earlier in September. “It’ll be devastating if they open in June,” Witthuhn said.

Neil Delanoy, captain of the Laura Lee partyboat out of Captree, said the industry could live with lower catch limits and a larger average fish as long as the season opens in May. An 80-day season, opening in June, Delanoy said, “would be an economic disaster.”

Schumer said he plans to reach out to the U.S. Department of Commerce and its newly nominated secretary, Wilbur Ross, to address his concerns, including requesting an expedited fluke population assessment and a suspension of the new cuts until improved data is available.

Read the full story at Newsday

Feds back off controversial plan to close commercial bluefish fishery mid-season

August 5, 2016 — The Long Island bluefish fishery will not be closed mid-season as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced last month, which prompted an outcry from federal and state elected officials and commercial fishermen.

A new federal rule will now allow transfers of bluefish quotas from the coast-wide recreational quota to the commercial quota, ensuring that the fishery can continue to harvest bluefish for the remainder of the season, the governor and members of the New York congressional delegation announced yesterday. As a result, 1.58 million pounds from the recreational fishing sector will be transferred to the commercial quota.

“With this common sense, flexible decision by the NOAA, we have reeled in a major win for Long Island’s commercial fishing boats,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer. “With the quota transfer, our Long Island fishing boats – who were facing a harsh and premature closing of the fishery — can keep earning, employing others and harvesting their catch. The feds did the right thing by heeding the call and supporting an industry that has deep history on Long Island.”

Read the full story at SoutholdLOCAL

Sen. Schumer: Closing Black Sea Bass Fishing Season Even Though Stocks Are Thriving May Dramatically Hurt LI Fishing Industry

June 6, 2016 — WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on federal fishery commissions, including the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, to update outdated and inflexible regulations and New York State DEC to re-evaluate New York’s black sea bass fishing season and consider opening it in June.

Schumer explained that New York’s black sea bass fishing season just closed on May 31st and will not begin again until July 1st. Schumer, today, said forcing the black sea bass fishing season to close – despite healthy stocks – without re-evaluating landing numbers could hurt Long Island’s commercial fishing industry, which supports direct and indirect jobs across the island.

Schumer pointed out that New York is already hurt by poor federally-generated yearly quota allocations, and said that losing out on any of the black sea bass quota due to a June closure would drastically hurt Long Island’s black sea bass commercial fishing industry.

“The black sea bass stocks are thriving and the industry is well below its allowable quota so it makes sense to keep open this fishery in June rather than close it,” said Senator Schumer. “We also must change the arbitrary and outdated federal regulations that hamstring the state DEC so we can more coherently and fairly manage the black sea bass fishery.”

Schumer continued, “Our Long Island fishing community is already reeling from low federal allotments, a closure and potential loss of black sea bass quota will throw it overboard. After a slow start to the black sea bass season, mostly due to weather, our Long Island commercial fishers are ready to bounce back and access the plentiful supply of sea bass, but instead they might fall flat if the feds and the state don’t throw them a line and let them do what they do best—fish. That’s why we should re-evaluate the current black sea bass season and consider opening it in June to help our Long Island fishing communities prosper in a way that is in balance with fishery management.”

Read the full story at LongIsland.com