Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: $1.1M in pandemic aid headed to state’s seafood industry

February 22, 2022 — A more than $1.1 million boost from the federal government will help the seafood industry in Massachusetts weather and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $1,104,725 from the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program will provide relief for local seafood processors and processing facilities, said U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren in announcing the award last week.

The federal money will be distributed by the state Division of Marine Fisheries. It plans to award the money to applicants for improving workplace and worker safety measures, facilitating market pivots, retrofitting facilities, transportation, worker housing and medical services.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Despite threats from fellow fishermen, lobstermen press Mass. to allow ropeless fishing in closed areas

February 1, 2022 — The lobstermen viewed themselves as trailblazers, even calling themselves “Pioneers for a Thoughtful Coexistence.” That was before fellow fishermen threatened to burn their boats and accused them of trying to steal their catch.

In an effort to prove that there’s a way for their industry to resume fishing in coastal waters where Massachusetts banned lobstering to protect endangered whales, they have asked regulators to allow them to set their traps without vertical buoy lines. Those heavy ropes, which connect traps on the seafloor to buoys on the surface, have entangled large numbers of North Atlantic right whales, scientists say, seriously injuring or killing the critically endangered species.

If the state approves their proposal, which has received support from right whale scientists and environmental groups, it would be the first time commercial lobster fishing would be allowed without buoy lines in any state waters.

“I’ve been trying my best to get our guys back fishing,” said Michael Lane, 46, a lobsterman who fishes 800 traps out of Cohasset. “I’ve seen so much taken away from us, for years; it’s nice to finally have the chance to see something going in the right direction. This could be a win for the fishing community.”

To protect right whales, some areas along the coast, such as Cape Cod Bay, have since 2015 been closed to lobster fishing between February and May, when large numbers of them feed in those waters. As the decline of the whales’ population has accelerated — scientists estimate their numbers are down 30 percent in the last decade — federal officials pressured the state to act. As a result, state officials last year expanded the three-month ban on traditional lobster fishing to most of its coastal waters.

“I do not expect to issue a decision for a few more weeks,” said Dan McKiernan, director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

He declined to comment on whether he’s inclined to permit ropeless fishing. “I am still gathering information from staff and considering the extensive comments,” he said.

After years of protesting the annual closures, officials at the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association urged McKiernan to reject the pioneers’ proposal, arguing that it could lead to “catastrophic” conflicts with other fisheries.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Massachusetts Breaks Seafood Value Record in 2021

January 13, 2022 — The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced the state’s seafood value reached an all-time high in 2021, with ex-vessel value landed sitting at over $800 million pounds by the end of the year.

Story Reed, Permitting & Statistics Program Manager for the DMF described the record-breaking year as a “remarkable turnaround from 2020.”

Reed broke down how 2020 impacted the seafood industry leading to revenue loss as traditional markets were essentially shuttered due to lockdown measures and consumers avoiding restaurants for most of the year.

For comparison to the $800 million, the 2020 ex-vessel value was $558 million and the five-year average (2015-2019) ex-vessel value was approximately $600 million, per the DMF.

Read the full story at Seafood News

David Goethel: A grievous assault on the lobster resource

November 4, 2021 — In recent years, the federal government in the form of the National Marine Fisheries Service has been expanding restrictions on fin fishermen throughout the U.S.  In the Northeast every aspect of a fishing vessel is controlled by regulation, from the size of the mesh in a net, to where and when and what you can fish for, to who is on your vessel and when you can leave the dock.

This has caused the fishing industry to shrink and the fin fishermen in New Hampshire have dwindled down to a handful.  During my lifetime, the fishermen in New Hampshire have had one commercial fishing organization.  We all meet together and work out our differences.  Compliance in all the New Hampshire fisheries is high and conflicts are few. After all, we are a community out on the ocean and need to work together.

Read the full opinion piece at the Portsmouth Herald

 

MASSACHUSETTS: Commercial black sea bass season expanded

August 27, 2021 — The state has approved an in-season adjustment to the commercial black sea bass fishery that will provide more open fishing days and higher catch limits.

The in-season adjustments, approved by the state Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission based on recommendations by the state Division of Marine Fisheries, represent the first adjustments in commercial fishing limits for the directed hook and line and pot fishery for black sea bass since 2017.

Since 2017, Massachusetts’s share of the annual commercial black sea bass quota, allocated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, has increased 32%.

Effective Aug. 30, according to DMF, Mondays and Wednesdays will be added as open commercial fishing days for the directed commercial black sea bass pot and hook and line fisheries.

The additional days will allow anglers to fish for black sea bass Sunday through Thursday.

On Oct. 1, the schedule will be expanded even more when Fridays and Saturdays are added to allow commercial harvesters to fish for black sea bass seven days per week.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Expanded commercial season for black sea bass proposed

August 3, 2021 — The state Division of Marine Fisheries is looking to add more open fishing days to the 2021 commercial black sea bass schedule, as well as increase trip catch limits.

The in-season adjustments, for which DMF is seeking public comment, are designed to provide fishermen with more access to the coveted stock and guard against fishing days lost to inclement fall weather.

Under current 2021 regulations, the commercial black sea bass schedule calls for three open fishing days per week — Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Under the new proposals, open fishing would be allowed five days per week, Sunday through Thursday, effective Aug. 30.

Then, effective Oct. 1, the state would eliminate all closed fishing days and allow commercial harvesting of black sea bass seven days per week until the end of the season.

“This will provide the commercial fishery with additional access to the quota during the fall period to account for potential days lost to weather, as this small boat fishery is frequently limited by worsening fall weather,” DMF stated in the solicitation for public comment.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Massachusetts Makes Millions More Available in Aid for Fishing Industry

July 26, 2021 — As the hard-hit Massachusetts fishing industry work to get back on its feet from the pandemic, the state Division of Marine Fisheries announced last week the release of another $23.8 million in CARES act money to assist with recovery efforts.

Grant applications have gone out to seafood processors, commercial fishermen, shellfish farmers, and for-hire recreational vessel owners, Gov. Charlie Baker said in announcing the second round of funding.

“The fishing and seafood industries are integral parts of the economy, history, and culture of Massachusetts, and have suffered significant losses during the Covid-19 pandemic,” the governor said. “We were pleased to coordinate the distribution of $28 million through the CARES Act last year and our administration remains dedicated to supporting these industries with this second round of federal relief funding.”

Four months ago the U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced an additional $255 million in fisheries assistance funding for states with coastal and marine fisheries negatively affected by Covid-19. Massachusetts received the third-highest allocation, after Alaska and Washington state.

Speaking to the Gazette by phone last week, Dan McKiernan, director of DMF, said Island seafood markets, charter and party boat operators, commercial oyster farmers, shellfishermen and commercial fishermen are all potential grant recipients. All were hit hard in the pandemic’s earliest months.

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette

Massachusetts Begins Sending Out Applications For Round 2 of Cares Act Fisheries Relief Funding

July 22, 2021 — Almost four months after the U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced the additional allocation of $255 million in fisheries assistance funding through the CARES Act, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is just starting the process of distributing the funds.

Massachusetts received the third largest amount in funding, having been allocated $23,632,530 for fisheries assistance.

Read the full story at Seafood News

MASSACHUSETTS: Applications open for second round of COVID-19 fisheries relief

July 21, 2021 — The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries mailed applications to seafood processers, wholesalers, commercial fishermen and aquaculture farmers on Tuesday — officially opening the state’s second round of CARES Act relief for fisheries.

The funds are intended to mitigate the financial impacts on marine fisheries participants that suffered more than a 35% loss of revenue due to the pandemic.

“Things are definitely recovering, we’re seeing high prices for many shellfish species, finfish, lobster, scallops,” said DMF Director Daniel McKiernan. “There’s a lot of demand for seafood right now so 2021 is looking like a really great year for the industry, but there’s still deficits from what happened last year that these funds will help mitigate.”

This may be the last chance for fisheries to get major COVID-19 relief funds. McKiernan said he wasn’t aware of any state or federal relief planned beyond this round.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Red Tide Spurs Closure Of Shellfish Areas Along Massachusetts Coast

July 20, 2021 — State regulators have closed down shellfish harvesting up and down much of the coastline “until further notice.”

In a notice distributed to shellfish constables, Division of Marine Fisheries Director Daniel McKiernan cited paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) as the cause of the closures. PSP is also known as red tide.

The affected towns are Amesbury, Beverly, Boston, Cohasset, Danvers, Duxbury, Essex, Gloucester, Hull, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Marshfield, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Plymouth, Revere, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Scituate, Swampscott and Winthrop.

Read the full story at WBUR