Saving Seafood

Foes, friends praise retiring NOAA official’s approach

December 26, 2017 — He’s been called a Neanderthal and the most reviled man in the region’s fishing community. At a public meeting broadcast on national TV, a fisherman once accused him to his face of lying for a living.

As the regional fisheries administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, John Bullard has drawn ire from all sides — fishermen, environmentalists, and politicians alike. His decisions have been routinely controversial, and he has rarely minced words in defending them.

Yet he has also earned widespread respect during his tenure as the region’s top fishing regulator, the rare public official willing to say what he thinks, no matter how unpopular. Earlier this year, he even publicly criticized his bosses, an offense that nearly got him fired.

As he prepares to retire from one of New England’s most influential — and thankless — government positions, Bullard, 70, has few regrets.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

 

Jon Mitchell: Ban costing Port of New Bedford $500K a day

December 22, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — In a letter addressed to NOAA, Mayor Jon Mitchell said the Port of New Bedford could be losing nearly $500,000 a day because of the groundfishing ban.

Mitchell referenced analysis prepared by Professor Dan Georgiana of SMAST, which stated the 25-day-old ban caused as much as $12 million (to date) in damage to the port.

Mitchell filed his letter Wednesday, the final day in which comments regarding the ban could be submitted. Andrew Saunders, the attorney for Sector IX, the Carlos Rafael fishing division that’s prevented from groundfishing, also submitted a letter Wednesday.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that hundreds of lives in New Bedford have been disrupted by the NOAA decision,” Mitchell wrote.

NOAA said it is still processing the submitted comments and wouldn’t comment on any submissions.

Mitchell doubled down on his plea throughout the Rafael saga: That innocent third parties shouldn’t be harmed for Rafael’s actions. NOAA Regional Administrator John Bullard revoked Sector IX’s operational plan on Nov. 20, which banned Rafael’s fleet from groundfishing. Bullard, a former New Bedford mayor, backed his decision stating deficiencies lingered within the sector.

Mitchell, a former U.S. prosecutor, presented a legal argument that should have prevented the ban. He cited National Standard 8, which states any prevention of overfishing should take into account the extent of adverse economic effects.

“I believe National Standard No. 8 would require due consideration of the socioeconomic impact that the notice of withdrawal of approval has on the member of Sector IX as well as the effected stakeholders in the Port of New Bedford,” Mitchell wrote.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford City Council seeks action on Carlos Rafael’s fishermen

December 18, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The City Council took aim at former Mayor John Bullard and his decision to prevent Sector IX, the fishing division populated by Carlos Rafael vessels, from landing groundfish.

“It’s important that we get turn this around,” [Ward 4 Councilor Dana] Rebeiro said. “He’s a very reasonable man. He loves New Bedford. I know he’s very concerned about Carlos Rafael, as we all are, and the fact that he was able to do what he did for so long. But I think there has to be a way that we can make sure that justice is served but not at the expense of these families.”

The council agreed to send a letter to Bullard, the Northeast Regional Administrator for NOAA and the federal delegation asking for immediate reversal of the ban.

The ban took effect Nov. 20 as a result of Bullard believing the division still hadn’t addressed issues resulting from Rafael’s illegal behavior.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Breeding North Atlantic right whales could be gone by mid-century

December 17, 2017 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries top administrator in the Northeast has asked for more help from fishermen to save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction, along with receiving assurances from Canadian officials that the 12 whale deaths this year in the Gulf of St. Lawrence will not occur again.

“This is a crisis,” said John Bullard, the outgoing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, last week at a New England Fishery Management Council meeting. “You do have to use the ‘extinction’ word. That’s what we’re looking at with the trend lines where they are.”

As scientists hone in on the future for the rare right whale, some consider the population likely to be “functionally extinct” in 20 to 25 years. Given that four or five adult females are killed each year by fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes, the estimated 100 adult breeding females left in the population would be gone by 2041, said Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientist Mark Baumgartner cq, who heads to North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium.

“There will still be females left, those that are juveniles today and those that are not yet born, but there will be too few of them to allow the species to recover,” Baumgartner said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Massachusetts: Still Haunted By Rafael New Bedford Fishermen Forced Back to Port

December 8, 2017 — Just before Thanksgiving, federal regulators took the unprecedented move of shutting down part of New Bedford’s fishing fleet known as sector 9, and ordering fishermen back to port. It was a shocking move that has kept 22 fishing boats tied up at the dock and put more than 80 commercial fishermen out of work. In addition, more than 300 dockside support workers who provide everything from ice and fuel to nets and accounting are affected, and if the shutdown continues, will be forced out of business.

Regional Fisheries Administrator John Bullard — who happens to be a former mayor of New Bedford  — ordered the shutdown because of what he said was gross mismanagement of the sector, pointing to the infamous “Codfather,” Carlos Rafael, as the culprit. Rafael dominated the sector 9 fleet, which he was in part tasked with managing. His massive fishing operation was brought down when undercover agents discovered a scheme in which he sold illegally caught cod and flounder and big profits, sending the money to Portugal. He is now serving a four-year prison term after admitting to the charges.

Read the full story at WBGH

 

New England council hears from Canastra, ship captains, emotional crew

December 7, 2017 — Twenty vessels have been pulled from the water at the Port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, effecting the livelihoods of about 80 fishermen, as a result of the recent decision by John Bullard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s region chief, to stop the groundfishing season five months early for New England’s Sector IX.

Canastra, one of two brothers who own the New Bedford seafood auction and also have a deal to buy Carlos Rafael’s large fishing fleet there, was among many to travel to the NEFMC meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, and use a public comment period to detail the impact of Bullard’s Nov. 20 move, which the council earlier supported.

Raymond Canastra, Richard’s brother, is a member of Sector IX’s revised board of directors, which has formally asked Bullard to reconsider his action.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Fishermen voice concerns over fallout from Rafael’s crimes

December 7, 2017 — NEWPORT, R.I. — More than century’s worth of fishing industry experience traveled from New Bedford to the Viking Hotel on Wednesday to describe the impact of NOAA’s groundfish ban on Carlos Rafael’s vessels.

Richie Canastra, an owner of the New Bedford fish auction BASE, sat in front of the New England Fishery Management Council during a public comment portion of its meeting and warned of “many layoffs” that will occur because of the ban.

Adrian Guillette, a crew member on one of Rafael’s vessels, told the council he’s uncertain how he’ll provide a Christmas with the ban in place.

Captain Brian Jannelle referred to the ban as an abuse of power. Another captain, Cesar Verde, asked the council to strongly reconsider the ban.

NOAA implemented the ban on groundfishing within Sector IX, one of 19 fishing divisions in the Northeast which is made up of Rafael’s vessels, on Nov. 20. The decision came from Regional Administrator John Bullard, who believed the division still hadn’t addressed issues resulting from Rafael’s illegal behavior.

Canastra estimated about 80 fishermen have been affected by the ban. Twenty-two vessels have been pulled off the water. Jannelle, Verde and Guillette have yet to return to the seas.

“I feel let down,” Jannelle said. “I feel let down because they’re supposed to manage our fishery and protect the fishermen. They’re not protecting the fishermen. They’re hurting the fishermen.”

The council voted in September that the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office should “immediately enforce sector regulations” and supported NOAA’s actions to enforce regulations.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

Sector IX responds to NOAA’s groundfish ban

December 5, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Sector IX sent a 15-page response to John Bullard and NOAA on Saturday after the governing agency banned the sector from groundfishing two week ago.

The documents sent to NOAA’s Northeast Regional Administrator by Sector IX President Virginia Martins included a six-page letter that outlined grievances with the decision as well as biographies of the new board members and the agenda of an Oct. 26 meeting between the sector and the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office.

The materials were sent after NOAA banned Sector IX from groundfishing on Nov. 20. The decision came down after Bullard concluded the sector hadn’t addressed lingering issues associated with Carlos Rafael’s illegal activity. Rafael’s boats make up Sector IX. Vessels with non-groundfish permits can still fish. Sector IX is one of 19 fishing divisions in the Northeast that organize fishing operations including overseeing reporting regulations.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

Massachusetts: New leaders of Rafael’s shuttered fishing sector seek meeting with NOAA exec

December 4, 2017 — The new leaders of Carlos Rafael’s former fishing sector say they never got a chance to introduce themselves personally to John Bullard, the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Greater Atlantic Region, before he made the decision in November to end their groundfishing season five months early.

They’re hoping he’ll see them now, asking for a face-to-face meeting as soon as possible in a letter sent Monday.

“Sector IX is disappointed in [the decision by Bullard, on Nov. 20, to withdraw its management plan] since it forces a complete shutdown of the sector for an undetermined period of time leading to severe collateral consequences – disrupting the lives of crew members and numerous shore based support businesses,” writes Andrew Saunders, the attorney recently hired by the board. “Sector IX strongly believes that your initial determination was based upon incomplete information and respectfully asks that you reconsider your position.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Carlos Rafael’s fraud leaves New Bedford fishing permits on ice

November 22, 2017 — BOSTON — South Coast officials and seafood industry interests were stunned by Monday’s federal decision to shut down a sector with ties to disgraced fishing magnate Carlos Rafael, a decision they say will cut into the livelihoods of fishermen during the holiday season and beyond.

“The ruling itself was unexpected,” said Andrew Saunders, a New Bedford attorney retained two months ago by Northeast Fishery Sector 9, one of 19 non-profit entities set up to manage fishing industry operations in the face of strict catch limits imposed by the federal government.

The decision stems from the fraud perpetrated by fishing magnate Carlos Rafael – dubbed the ‘Codfather’ in local media coverage – but New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell says there’s collateral damage involved for people in the New Bedford area whose jobs are tethered to the harvesting of groundfish such as cod, flounder and haddock.

“The tying up of these vessels will deprive crew members opportunities to earn a living and it will eat into the revenue of shoreside businesses that support the industry,” Mitchell told the News Service, citing impacts on fuel and ice suppliers, net menders and settlement houses.

The decision was handed down by NOAA Regional Administrator John Bullard, a former mayor of New Bedford. In his ruling Bullard zeroed in on Rafael, who was hit with a 46-month prison sentence in September after federal prosecutors convicted him of charges associated with falsifying records to evade federal fishing quotas and smuggling business proceeds to Portugal to avoid U.S. taxation.

Read the full story from the State House News Service at the Newburyport Daily News