Saving Seafood

Massachusetts: Two Essex clam flats reopen

May 31, 2018 — ESSEX, Mass. — State fisheries regulators reopened two of Essex’s clam-harvesting areas on Wednesday, helping mitigate potential demand issues for restaurants and seafood dealers following Sunday’s town-wide closure because of sewage contamination.

Following a second examination, the state Division of Marine Fisheries reopened two harvesting areas — N 7-4 and N 7-5 — that overlap into Ipswich and are among the farthest away from the Main Street area where the sewer pipe broke Saturday night and sent its contents surging into the Essex River.

The rest of the town’s clam flats remain closed indefinitely, with no indication when they might reopen.

According to the order DMF issued Sunday to the towns of Essex and Ipswich, as well as the city of Gloucester, the entire N 7 Essex Bay area was closed to clamming.

The N7 Essex Bay area, according to the closure notice, includes “the waters, flats and tributaries of Essex Bay in the Towns of Ipswich and Essex and the City of Gloucester, inside and south and west of a line drawn across the Essex Bay inlet from the southern most point of Crane Beach in the Town of Ipswich easterly to the northern most point of Two Penny Loaf in Gloucester.”

The reopening of the two harvesting areas at Middle Castle Neck River and Lower Castle Neck River went into effect at sunrise Wednesday and clammers wasted little time resuming the harvest.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

Boston Herald: Will wind energy deliver?

May 30, 2018 — Last week, Massachusetts announced the winner of a new offshore wind contract — which means the Bay State is about to get its first offshore wind farm. The Vineyard Wind project will be located at least a dozen miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and is expected to generate 800 megawatts of energy — enough to power 400,000 homes. Vineyard Wind is aiming for 2021 to be up and operational.

There is a lot to like about wind. The rows of wind turbines standing 397 feet tall (that’s 92 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty), rising out of the water are visually striking with their sleek blades turning in concert.

Wind energy is completely green energy, powered by a vast and inexhaustible resource. It does not pollute the water or the air. There is no ugly byproduct to contend with nor does the apparatus itself take up a lot of space. According to its website, “Vineyard Wind will offer $3.7 billion in energy related cost savings over the life of the project while eliminating 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions — the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road.”

It sounds very promising as do a lot of the carefully worded­ highlights on the Vineyard Wind’s “Benefits” page.

Read the full story at the Boston Herald

 

Massachusetts: Largest U.S. contract to date makes SouthCoast a hub for offshore wind

May 29, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Now we have an industry, not just a plan.

That’s the feeling among would-be suppliers and others after Massachusetts and Rhode Island awarded offshore wind contracts on Wednesday to two developers for a combined 1,200 megawatts of power.

Though subject to negotiation and permitting, the Massachusetts award of 800 megawatts essentially green-lights the largest U.S. offshore wind farm to date. Together, the two projects could power about 620,000 homes, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

Even Bay State Wind, whose bid was not successful, is looking forward to a bright future in the region.

“This is the first of what we think will be many more to come,” said Lauren Burm, a spokeswoman for Ørsted, one of the partners behind Bay State Wind. She said solicitations on the Eastern seaboard are expected to exceed 7,000 megawatts in the next 10 years.

And Ørsted is moving on.

On May 17, the Danish company opened an office in Atlantic City for a prospective wind farm off New Jersey, where it holds another lease in federal waters.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a renewable energy law on May 23, the same day Massachusetts and Rhode Island made their awards. In it, he codified in law his previously stated goal of buying 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind by 2030. The state has not issued a request for proposals.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Massachusetts: ‘Every vote matters:’ democratic candidates for governor visit New Bedford for forum

May 29, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — In a two-hour gubernatorial candidate forum hosted by the New Bedford Democratic City Committee, Jay Gonzalez and Robert Massie covered a wide range of issues including education, fishing, offshore wind, opioids and immigration.

“Every vote matters,” said moderator Shannon Jenkins, chairwoman of the Political Science Department at UMass Dartmouth and Dartmouth School Committee member, explaining the last election for governor was close.

Lisa Lemieux, a New Bedford Democrat was the main organizer of the forum, held at the Zeiterion Theatre Sunday afternoon. Prior to the forum, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., was an “open fair” with booths offering voter registration information and candidate advocacy briefing materials, a local farmer’s market and local music.

Gonzalez and Massie were in agreement on many issues, although at times each candidate suggested differing approaches. Both were in support of the proposed millionaires tax and single payer health care, and often criticized current Governor Charlie Baker who’s running for reelection as a Republican.

Fishing / offshore wind

Massie commented on last week’s announcement of Vineyard Wind winning Massachusetts’ first offshore wind contract for an 800-megawatt wind farm, calling it “much too small.”

“I would like to see the governor have agreed to a much larger wind contract so that we really create a whole industry rather than a single project,” he said.

Massie said the government has a responsibility to support people in their role or allow people to “transition out” and suggested a fisherman’s equity act. He said he acknowledges that those who depend on fishing need support to maintain their role or transition to a new role in the economy.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

New Hampshire memorials honor those ‘Lost at Sea’

May 29, 2018 — Deep water, as all Seacoast natives know, is beautiful and deadly. From the first settler’s records to the latest headlines, our oceans and rivers have claimed countless souls. Seacoast annals are filled with lives lost due to sudden squalls, shipwrecks, rogue waves, boating mishaps, drownings, naval battles and sunken submarines.

Memorials to those killed and missing at sea dot the greater Portsmouth coastline. From Newburyport, Massachusetts, to York, Maine, we found 10 somber reminders of the perils of water and the horrors of war. Our Memorial Day tour begins at “Great Island,” now New Castle, once the heart of Colonial New Hampshire. An island community dependent on fishing and the maritime trade, New Castle men were frequent victims of harsh weather on the ocean.

Just inside the gates of scenic New Castle Commons, off to the left, is a human-sized white obelisk dated 1856. A dozen lost sailors with familiar local names – Amazeen, Trefethen, Yeaton, Gerrish – are listed. Another side of the memorial, the words now faded, is marked with a fearsome biblical passage from the Book of Revelation. It reads, in part, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it.”

When historian Charles Brewster wandered New Castle during the Civil War, this marble memorial stood in the garden of the Congregational Church – “a refreshing green spot, handsomely laid out” with gravel walks and flowerbeds. By 1916, with more names added, the obelisk had been moved to Riverside Cemetery. It was cleaned and moved again to its current location near the Oceanside Cemetery in 1997, within view of three lighthouses. Sadly, a modern plaque notes, this monument lists only a portion of the residents of New Hampshire’s smallest town (comprising only one square mile) who were buried in a watery grave over the last four centuries.

Here are nine more Seacoast memorials, large and small, that recall lives lost at sea or interned in foreign lands.

Read the full story at the Portsmouth Herald

 

Don Cuddy: Mattapoisett company moving fishing tech forward

May 29, 2018 — Sometimes a chat over the fence is all it takes to set great things in motion. Fairhaven resident Karl Edminster was talking with his neighbor, marine researcher Emily Keiley, when she mentioned that SMAST had an underwater cable that had suffered damage on a fisheries survey cruise. She knew Karl’s job had something to do with electrical work. He said he’d take a look.

In fact, Karl is president of Electromechanica, a high-tech design-and build engineering outfit based in Mattapoisett. They spliced the cable.

“But we told them we do more than fix cables,” Karl told me. In fact, the perfectly anonymous space the company occupies in the Mattapoisett industrial park produces an array of highly sophisticated devices for an impressive list of clients.

The damaged cable belonged to an underwater camera system that SMAST researchers were using to assess the health of the sea scallop biomass.

“It had older low-resolution analog cameras and a digital still camera that they lowered and triggered remotely,” Karl said. This meant that scientists could not see the images until the cameras were retrieved.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Massachusetts: Lobster processing bill OK’d by Senate

May 29, 2018 — For the second time in as many years, state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr has convinced the Senate to include in its $41.49 billion budget a plan to expand in-state processing of raw and frozen lobster parts.

The question now is whether — unlike 2017 — the measure will remain in the final budget.

The Tarr-sponsored measure, adopted by the Senate on Thursday night as an amendment to the fiscal 2019 budget bill, would direct the state Division of Marine Fisheries to implement new regulations that permit on-shore lobster processing “after an assessment of whether such activity would harm the lobster stock or the sustainability of the state’s commercial lobster industry.”

Tarr and the plan’s supporters, which include Democratic senators from other coastal communities, would eliminate what they described as “outdated restrictions on lobster processing and sales.”

Under the current law, the sale of live, cooked and canned lobster is legal in Massachusetts, as is the processing and sale of frozen, cooked lobster tails.

But the existing law prohibits lobstermen and seafood vendors from selling, processing or transporting other forms of lobster in-state for processing, forcing them to ship the lobster or lobster parts to processors in Maine and Canada.

Under the proposed amendment, wholesale dealers licensed by the state Department of Public Health would be able to process raw lobsters, import raw, shell-on lobster parts and tails and allow retail sales of previously frozen raw, in-shell tails.

“Massachusetts has the second largest lobster catch in the country,” Tarr said in a statement. “To keep from being left behind, we should expand our ability to process raw and frozen lobster parts. American lobsters are being harvested here and should be prepared for market here instead of Canada or Maine.”

The expansion of allowed processing practices, according to Tarr, would enhance local economies in Massachusetts coastal communities such as Gloucester, which is the state’s most lucrative lobster port, and provide local restaurants and food stores with “superior access to the best lobster parts for their customers.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

Massachusetts awarded $10K for local seafood marketing campaign

May 29, 2018 — DEERFIELD, Mass. — The state has awarded $10,000 to a local seafood marketing campaign.

Our Wicked Fish in Deerfield said the funding will help them get more restaurants and consumers access to the state’s local seafood.

Our Wicked Fish is a non-profit organization that connect restaurants and residents with New England’s local seafood.

Our Wicked Fish Founder Amanda Davis told 22News the money will fund evaluations of restaurants in Massachusetts that offer local seafood.

They will also determine whether the restaurants have access to red fish, hake, the black sea bass and other underutilized fish.

Read the full story at WWLP

 

MASSACHUSETTS: Plan to Expand Lobster Processing Adopted by State Senate

May 25, 2018 — BOSTON — The following was released by the Office of Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr:

The State Senate today backed a plan that could lift limits on the processing, sale, and transportation of cooked and frozen in-shell lobster parts. Under existing laws, Massachusetts lobstermen and seafood vendors are required to sell or transport lobster out-of-state for processing and then bring them back for sale to consumers in the bay state – often with a ‘Product of Canada’ label.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester) sponsored the measure, an amendment to the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget bill, in recognition that up to 80% of lobster landed in the state is then sent to out of state processing facilities.  Industry leaders say the move will facilitate opportunities to create and grow jobs in the state.  This is the Senate’s latest of many attempts to expand opportunities for the sustainability of the state’s commercial lobster industry, the amendment received unanimous support.

“Massachusetts has the second-largest lobster catch in the country, to keep from being left behind we should expand our ability to process raw and frozen lobster parts. American lobsters are being harvested here and should be prepared for market here instead of Canada or Maine,” said Senator Tarr. “The net effect of modernizing the law will bolster local economic activity and give local restaurants and food stores superior access to the best lobster parts for their customers.”

Tarr expressed appreciation for coastal Senators Mark Montigny (D- New Bedford),Vinny deMacedo (R- Plymouth), and Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) for their efforts to strengthen the industry and in championing the bill.

“The time has come to eliminate such outdated restrictions on lobster processing and sales in the Commonwealth. Easing constraints on processing operations will allow a thriving industry to further invest in our local economy through expanding operations and creating new jobs, especially in New Bedford. I commend Senator Tarr’s leadership and am proud to have partnered with him in seeing this through to passage.  It is my hope the House will finally accept this measure in conference and get it on the Governor’s desk.” said Senator Montigny, cosponsor of the legislation.

“I am glad to join my colleagues in the Senate in support of our Massachusetts lobster fishermen,” said Senator deMacedo (R-Plymouth). “These advancements in our approach to lobster processing will provide an important benefit to the lobster industry and the fishermen who play such an important role in our communities and economy.”

The amendment will direct the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries to implement new regulations permitting on-shore processing of lobsters after an assessment of whether such activity would harm the lobster stock or the sustainability of the state’s commercial lobster industry.

The lobster industry is a critical part of the Commonwealth’s economy and heritage.  A similar law in Maine has boosted that state’s economy, produced local outlets for product sales, and created jobs.

“The amendment adopted in the Senate’s budget works to ensure the sustainability and viability of the state’s lobster industry,” said Senator Michael Rodrigues. “This measure will benefit both consumers and lobstermen in coastal communities statewide”

While the sale of live, cooked, and canned lobster is legal in the state, the legislation will expand the industry market with the inclusion of other lobster products. The amendment could permit wholesale dealers licensed by the Department of Public Health to process unfrozen lobsters, import unfrozen shell-on lobster parts and tails, and allow for the retail of previously frozen raw in-shell tails.

Following a successful assessment, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries will maintain essential regulations including enforcing minimum lobster shell size standards and processing standards. The lobster fishery adheres to stringent state regulations including trap limits and the release of live juveniles.

 

MASSACHUSETTS: Selling state’s seafood: Report says ports like Gloucester must take lead

May 25, 2018 — Massachusetts should increase its public commitment and investment in the state’s commercial fishing industry to help foster innovation and partnerships among diverging stakeholders and the private sector, according to a report commissioned by the Seaport Economic Council.

The report, produced by the Urban Harbor Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston and titled “Building the Massachusetts Seafood System,” also recommended that major Bay State fishing ports such as Gloucester commit to a prominent role in growth and redevelopment of the fishing industry.

“It is at the local level where face-to-face information sharing and institutional support typically lead to new technology and product development, new businesses or non-profit programs and ecosystem restoration projects, and where the benefits of cultural and community development are most directly felt,” the report stated.

Lt. Gov. Karen Polito, the chairwoman of the council, traveled to Gloucester on Thursday — along with former Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, now deputy secretary of housing and development in the Baker administration — to hear the presentation of the final report at City Hall.

The presentation also drew Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken on the dais and some members of the Gloucester City Council and fishing stakeholders in the audience of about two dozen.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times