Saving Seafood

One Square Mile in Massachusetts: While Scallops Soar, Groundfishing Struggles In New Bedford

February 9, 2018 — The Port of New Bedford is often touted as the most lucrative in North America. That’s thanks mainly to the popularity, and apparent abundance, of scallops. But the success of scallops may be masking hard times for other parts of the fishing industry.

Pat Kavanagh owns three fishing boats in New Bedford. Two for catching groundfish like cod, haddock and flounder. The other is a scallop boat. Right now, that’s his moneymaker.

“As far as groundfishing, groundfishing’s been tough for the last twenty years,” said Kavanagh.

He’s tight lipped about how much he actually makes from the three boats each year.

“But I can say it’s a damn good thing we’ve got a scalloper,” said Kavanagh.

Like many fishermen, Kavanagh got into this business through family, working on his father’s boat. But since the 1980s regulations have tamped down on fisheries, and it’s become harder to get a start in the business. Groundfish prices have fallen, and Kavanagh says buyers are looking elsewhere for product.

“The world has gotten smaller with airplanes and flying fish around,” said Kavanagh. “So we’re competing with the world and there’s some pretty cheap fish out there and there’s actually some pretty good fish.”

The fleet has dwindled, and in the last year, New Bedford suffered another major blow. Carlos Rafael, the owner of a local groundfishing fleer pleaded guilty to falsifying his catch. He’s now serving a four-year prison sentence. His fleet sits impounded at the docks. Federal regulators have suspended his boats from fishing.

Whether you worked with Rafael or not, the shrinking fleet has put strain on other businesses, including Levin Marine across the harbor in Fairhaven, which makes netting for groundfishing.

Read the full story at Rhode Island Public Radio

 

Massachusetts: Rep. Keating optimistic after meeting with NOAA on groundfishing ban

February 9, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — William Keating left a meeting with NOAA’s new regional administrator feeling optimistic regarding the agency’s stance on Sector IX.

The U.S. House member representing New Bedford met Tuesday night with Michael Pentony, who replaced John Bullard at NOAA and began his new role two weeks ago. Keating wanted to discuss the groundfishing ban that’s holding about 80 New Bedford fishermen off the water.

“What can I do to get people back fishing as quickly as possible?” Keating said. “That is creating my strong feelings of urgency around resolving the operations plan. That has to be done to go forward. NOAA is very clear about that.”

Neither NOAA nor Pentony would comment on the groundfishing ban placed on Sector IX.

However, Pentony also left the introduction with Keating with a feeling of optimism.

″(It was) very positive,” Pentony said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the Congressman and his staff.”

Keating said his office remains in contact with NOAA on a weekly basis. The dialogue first began last spring.

The urgency, from Keating’s perspective results from the belief that the groundfishing ban established last November affects more than New Bedford.

As the most valuable fishing port in the country 17 years running, any splash in New Bedford ripples throughout Massachusetts, Keating said.

“It’s not only for our city, not only for our region, but for Massachusetts as a whole,” Keating said. “Having this cohesive industry situated the way that it is and the growth that can come from that … that is important in terms of the economic side that should be factored in.”

Because of its widespread effect on the state, Keating said he’s working with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey on urging an immediate solution.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

NOAA Announces New Marine Mammal Stranding Response Organization in Nantucket

February 9, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:   

Today, NOAA Fisheries announces that Marine Mammal Rescue Nantucket is now an authorized marine mammal stranding response organization for Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget Islands.

After four years of no stranding coverage on Nantucket and the outer islands, Marine Mammal Rescue Nantucket (known as MMRACK, after ACK – the call letters for Nantucket Airport) fills an important gap in the GARFO network. Led by Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket CEO Scott Leonard, who spent more than a decade working as a stranding volunteer with New England Aquarium, MMRACK will respond to both live and dead whales, dolphins, and seals. In addition to assessing and providing transportation for animals in need of treatment, Leonard’s team, which consists of seasoned volunteers who have worked or trained with the New England Aquarium, will also perform necropsies (animal autopsies) on dead animals.

“Nantucket is a unique place with a rich marine mammal history,” says Leonard. “MMRACK’s mission is to provide public education and outreach with the focus on raising awareness of human and marine mammal interaction, while providing humane care to our marine species. We are looking forward to being part of the network, and plan on working closely with International Fund for Animal Welfare, Marine Mammals of Maine, U.S. Coast Guard, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and other regional partner organizations.”

NOAA Fisheries looks forward to working with MMRACK to increase stranding response capabilities on Nantucket, and to help with monitoring marine mammal populations and health.

“Nantucket is an important area for marine mammal populations, particularly gray seals that breed and pup there,” says Mendy Garron, NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region Marine Mammal Stranding Response Coordinator. “Having a stranding response organization on the island will help us track the health and welfare of these populations and help reduce conflicts through education and outreach.”

Please report stranded marine mammals on Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget to the Marine Mammal Rescue Nantucket Hotline: 833-667-6626.

Learn more about about NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region by visiting their site here.

 

Fisheries and Offshore Wind Working Group To Meet Monday in New Bedford, Mass.

February 9, 2018 (Saving Seafood) – WASHINGTON – A fisheries and offshore wind working group is scheduled to meet with offshore wind developers next Monday, February 12 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET at UMass Dartmouth’s new School for Marine Science and Technology East building, 836 S. Rodney French Boulevard Room 102. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

The Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Wind Energy is comprised of commercial fishermen, representatives from various fishing ports and sectors, recreational fishermen, scientists, and state and federal agencies. It is one of two working groups organized by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, along with a working group focused on marine habitat. The group was created to give stakeholders a chance to provide feedback and raise issues with offshore wind developers and the government.

Monday’s meeting will include three offshore wind energy developers – Deepwater Wind, Vineyard Wind, and Orsted – as well as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. One focus of the meeting will be discussing a plan for an independent offshore wind and fisheries science advisory panel to help identify and fill key science and data gaps. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting.

 

Atlantic Capes Fisheries debuts ‘game-changer’ in scallops

February 8, 2018 — FALL RIVER, Mass. — A new blue package at Atlantic Capes Fisheries is being called a “game-changer” for the scallop industry.

In partnering with Maxwell Chase, an Atlanta-based innovative packaging company, Atlantic Capes began shipping some of its scallops in its new Blue SeaWell container, which the companies say will double the life of fresh all natural scallops to about 10 days.

“It’s really exciting,” said Carl Achorn, a salesperson at Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc. “Because of this new technology, it’s the opportunity to show people what real fresh scallops from New Bedford are like way out in Michigan, way out in Ohio.”

Shipping with the Blue SeaWell technology began last week. Atlantic Capes shipped 10 containers holding 5 pounds each. By the end of the week, the company filled 1,000 containers.

“It’s a product we believe in,” Operations Manager Chris Brown said. “Again, if we’re in Montana and we wanted scallops just like we’re fortunate enough to take home here, how would we want them packed? This is the way we want them packed because the results have proven themselves.”

The scallops are packed into the blue container without any preservatives added. The innovation begins at the bottom of the container where a semi-transparent fabric covers 12 wells, which look like an enlarged ice cube tray. The the fabric is specifically made to allow any fluid that a scallop excretes to cipher through. A unique recipe of a sand-like substance sits at the bottom of each well and helps absorb any fluid, which allows for a fresh scallop.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

MASSACHUSETTS: One Square Mile: Opioids In New Bedford’s Fishing Industry

February 8, 2018 — Commercial fishing consistently ranks as one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, which may help explain why fishermen have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic.

In this next story in [Rhode Island Public Radio’s] series, “One Square Mile: New Bedford,” health reporter Lynn Arditi visits the Port of New Bedford. Here’s part one of the two-part story.

Captain Mario Gonsalves drove up to the docks one December morning to find his fishing boat caked with ice. A storm was coming and he wanted to get another run in before it hits. One of his crew used a sledge hammer to smash ice off the boat’s roof.

Gonsalves and his five-man crew fish for whiting, squid and scup year round — in all kinds of weather. It’s a lot of lifting and pulling on slippery decks, often at night. So he said can’t risk having someone on his boat impaired by drugs or alcohol.

“Right now we drug test all the time,’’ Gonsalves said. “We never used to do that but since a couple months back we started drug testing everybody….You don’t want somebody that’s all high and stuff playing with machinery to hurt somebody.’’

Read and listen to the full story at Rhode Island Public Radio

 

New England Council waits on Massachusetts for new cod, haddock limits

February 8, 2018 — It’s always good to have a plan. Sometimes it’s even better to have a backup plan.

The New England Fishery Management Council has one of each for its recommendations to NOAA Fisheries on recreational Gulf of Maine cod and haddock bag limits for the 2018 fishing season.

Now the council is waiting on the Massachusetts’ Division of Marine Fisheries before it decides which recommendation to forward to federal fishery regulators.

In late January, the council voted to recommend NOAA Fisheries implement a “status quo” management policy for 2018 Gulf of Maine cod and haddock that would prohibit possession of any cod by recreational fishermen.

The recommendation, which was supported by the council’s recreational advisory panel and its groundfish committee, also set a 12-fish bag limit and 17-inch minimum size for haddock in federal waters and two seasonal closures — March 1 to April 14 and Sept. 17 to Oct. 31.

But here is the rub:

Last year, the state DMF implemented a policy that allowed private recreational anglers to keep one cod from each fishing trip in state waters and those recreational landings must be accounted for in determining whether federal regulators are able to hit their overall mortality targets and catch limits.

Too many cod grabbed in out of state waters could push the fishery past those targets.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

MASSACHUSETTS: February Dock-U-Mentaries Series Presents After the Storm: Lessons from the Northern Edge

February 5, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

Join us for After the Storm: Lessons from the Northern Edge as the Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on February 16th at 7:00 p.m. Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.  Films about the working waterfront are screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.

Commercial fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous ways to earn a living. For centuries fishermen have braved the waters of the northeast Atlantic to make their catch, some never to return home. But in 2004, the scallop boat Northern Edge sank, taking with it five of the six men on board. The lucrative fishing port of New Bedford, Massachusetts changed forever. The loss of the Northern Edge spurred a response on every front. Fishermen, politicians, and lawmakers alike took a new look at the safety of those who fish the Atlantic waters for a living. In one of the most regulated industries in the country, however, an imbalance between conservation law and safe practice emerged. This film by J.D. Marlow and Amanda Bergeron explores the question:  Can conservation efforts and fishermen’s safety co-exist?  Question and answer session with veteran fisherman and safety trainer Captain Rodney Avila to follow the film.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and presenting the history and culture of New Bedford’s fishing industry through exhibits, programs, and archives. www.fishingheritagecenter.org

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry.  The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States.  The National Park visitor center is located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. It is open from 9 AM-5 PM, and offers information, exhibits, and a free orientation movie every hour on the hour from 10 AM-4 PM.  The visitor center is wheelchair-accessible, and is free of charge.  For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov/nebe or visit the park’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NewBedfordNPS/. Everyone finds their park in a different way. Discover yours at FindYourPark.com

 

Massachusetts: Boats owned by jailed ‘Codfather’ sink in New Bedford

February 5, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Two Carlos Rafael vessels will remain submerged under about 25 feet of water until at least Tuesday, the earliest a lifting machine can arrive, according to the New Bedford Fire Department.

The fishing vessels Dinah Jane and Nemesis sank early Monday morning. New Bedford police and fire responded to Homer’s Wharf at 1:24 a.m. after the vessels’ emergency position radio beacons transmitted a signal to the Coast Guard at about 1 a.m. No one was onboard the vessels.

The two vessels were tied to each other and one pulled down the other, according to Edward-Anthes Washburn, the executive director of the Harbor Development Commission.

The cause of the sinkings won’t be known until the fishing vessels are raised, Fire Chief Michael Gomes said.

After arriving, New Bedford Fire deployed about 400 feet of oil containment boom. At least one of the vessels did leak fuel oil, but Gomes said a diver plugged the vents, which leaked. The situation continues to be monitored.

According to the Coast Guard, the 65-foot Dinah Jane and 67-foot Nemesis contain a combined capacity of 9,500 gallons of fuel.

Carlos Seafood Inc. didn’t return requests for comment on Monday. Rafael, also known by some as “Codfather,” was sentenced last year to 46 months in prison for falsifying fishing quota, bulk cash smuggling and tax evasion.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission also arrived on scene Monday morning. The vessels were already submerged when all agencies reported.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

 

Robert Bryce: Cuomo’s latest green-power fiasco

February 5, 2018 — Since 2015, Gov. Cuomo has been hyping his scheme to remake the state’s electric grid so that by 2030 half of the state’s electricity will come from renewable sources.

But Cuomo’s ambition — to prove his renewable-energy bona fides and thus position himself as a viable Democratic candidate for the White House in two years — is colliding headlong with reality.

Indeed, two events Monday, one in Albany and the other in the upstate town of Somerset, showed just how difficult and expensive his plan has become and how New York ratepayers will be stuck with the bill.

In Albany, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released its “offshore-wind master plan.” The agency said it was “charting a course to 2,400 megawatts” of offshore capacity to be installed by 2030. That much capacity (roughly twice as much as now exists in all of Denmark) will require installing hundreds of platforms over more than 300 square miles of ocean in some of the most navigated, and heavily fished, waters on the Eastern Seaboard.

It will also be enormously expensive. According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration, by 2022 producing a megawatt hour of electricity from offshore wind will cost a whopping $145.90.

Offshore wind promoters claim costs are declining. Maybe so. But according to the New York Independent System Operator, the average cost of wholesale electricity in the state last year was $36.56. Thus, Cuomo’s presidential ambitions will require New York consumers to pay roughly four times as much for offshore electricity as they currently pay for juice from conventional generators.

Why is the governor pushing so hard for offshore wind? The answer’s simple: The rural backlash against Big Wind is growing daily.

Just a few hours after NYSERDA released its plan, the Somerset town board unanimously banned industrial wind turbines. The town (population: 2,700) is actively opposing the proposed 200-megawatt Lighthouse Wind project, which, if built, would be one of the largest onshore-wind facilities in the Northeast.

Wednesday, Dan Engert, the supervisor in Somerset, told me his “citizens are overwhelmingly opposed” to having wind projects built near their homes and that Somerset will protect “the health, safety and rural character of our town.”

Numerous other small communities are fighting the encroachment of Big Wind. In the Thousand Islands region, towns like Cape Vincent and Clayton have been fending off wind projects for years. Last May, the town of Clayton approved an amendment to its zoning ordinance that bans all commercial wind projects.

Read the full story at the New York Post