Saving Seafood

Massachusetts: Jack Spillane: In gratitude for fishermen

December 11, 2017 — “They that do down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.”

— Psalm 107

Misty Blue.

In the wake of its tragic destiny, even the name seems to betoken sadness.

Misty Blue, of course, could also bring to mind peace and beauty. And surely there was a time when the rugged guys who worked the surf clammer on a gentle Atlantic day thought about their boat that way.

In New Bedford, we’re well familiar with the ever-present danger of making a living on the sea. And yet, every time it happens, every time a boat goes down, it takes our breath away.

How? How? How?

Did they have time to get away? No. Could we have possibly done more for them? No.

It can happen quickly on a fishing boat. Something gets caught, something gets icy. There’s a hundred ways.

The initial reports Monday night were that two fishermen had been rescued 10 miles southeast of Nantucket, but two remained missing.

The 69-foot Misty had put out a distress call at 6:10 p.m. and by 6:30 she was said to have rolled over and sunk. The public details of what happened are still sketchy.

Eric Arabian, 44, Michael Roberts, 44, Jonathan Saraiva, 32, and Colby McMullen, 22, were a crew and they should be listed together as a crew.

Arabian, the captain, and McMullen, were rescued by the fishing boat Enterprise and physically are said to be fine. Or as fine as they can ever be after such catastrophe.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Cod quotas rise, flounder sinks

December 8, 2017 — Northeast commercial groundfishermen will face a mixed sampler of annual catch limits when the 2018 fishing season opens, with significant increases to some Gulf of Maine stocks but continued declines in many of the flounder quotas.

The New England Fishery Management Council, at its meeting Wednesday in Newport, Rhode Island, approved its groundfish Framework 57, which sets the annual catch limits for 2018-2020 fishing years.

Groundfishing stakeholders applauded the 2018 increases for such stocks as Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock and pollock in 2018, but said the gains still don’t come close to closing the credibility gap they believe exists between NOAA Fisheries’ science and what fishermen are seeing on the water.

Read the full story at the Gloucester 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

 

Massachusetts: Mitchell pleads fishermen’s case to NOAA head

December 8, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — In a meeting with one of NOAA’s top administrators in Washington D.C, Mayor Jon Mitchell made his case for easing recent sanctions that he said are harming fishermen and city businesses.

“It’s all sort of related,” Mitchell said. “The idea is that these matters should be wrapped up. I pledged to continue to bring the parties together in however I can, as I have been doing for some time now.”

New Bedford’s mayor met with Assistant Administrator of NOAA Chris Oliver on Tuesday as part of a two-day trip to the nation’s capital.

The fishermen out of work due to NOAA’s groundfish ban for Rafael’s vessels sat atop his agenda. When NOAA made its announcement on Nov. 20, Mitchell strongly condemned the decision saying it will affect innocent third parties.

It was a similar argument Mitchell conveyed in a letter to Oliver’s predecessor in June suggesting the best tool to use against Rafael was a global settlement.

Mitchell advocated for a global settlement because he’s said it would remove Rafael from the industry and prevent him from profiting from a prison cell. It would also keep the vessels in New Bedford.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

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

 

Council Approves Groundfish Framework 57 With Annual Catch Limits, Halibut/Southern Windowpane AMs, and More

December 7, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council: 

The New England Fishery Management Council has approved Framework Adjustment 57 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The framework contains fishery specifications and annual catch limits (ACLs) for the 2018-2020 fishing years, as well as: (a) U.S./Canada total allowable catches (TACs) for shared stocks on Georges Bank; (b) Atlantic halibut management measures; (c) modifications to the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures (AMs) for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries such as scup and summer flounder; (d) adjustments to how common pool trimester TACs are apportioned; and (e) a temporary change to the scallop fishery’s AM implementation policy to cover the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder stock. The Council also discussed actions related to recreational fisheries and approved a temporary administrative measure to give the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) regional administrator the authority to adjust recreational measures for Georges Bank cod.

2018-2020 Fishing Year Specifications

The new specifications in Framework 57 include substantial quota increases for several commercially important groundfish stocks, including Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, and pollock, as well as smaller but important increases for a few “choke” stocks. These are stocks with low quotas that can make accessing healthy, high-quota stocks more difficult (see table). Catch limits for some stocks will decrease, and fishermen will continue to face challenges with non-allocated stocks such as windowpane flounder. Overall, however, the 2018 quotas are expected to provide a number of groundfish fishing opportunities on healthy resources.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) made overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations – the starting point for calculating catch limits – for all groundfish stocks except Atlantic halibut. In order to prevent delays in the implementation of Framework 57, the Council agreed in advance to accept the halibut OFL and ABC recommendations that the SSC intends to make during a December 18 webinar meeting. The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) made overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations – the starting point for calculating catch limits – for all groundfish stocks except Atlantic halibut. In order to prevent delays in the implementation of Framework 57, the Council agreed in advance to accept the halibut OFL and ABC recommendations that the SSC intends to make during a December 18 webinar meeting.

The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

During its September meeting in Gloucester, the Council approved 2018 fishing year TACs for three shared U.S./Canada groundfish stocks on Georges Bank, which also are part of Framework 57.

The U.S. share for Eastern Georges Bank cod increased 76% from 2017. Eastern Georges Bank haddock decreased 47.1%. Georges Bank yellowtail flounder went up 2.9%.

Revised Common Pool Vessel Trimester TAC Apportionments

The Council also voted to revise the common pool trimester TAC apportionments based on a request from industry. However, the Council limited these revisions to stocks that have experienced early closures in Trimester 1 or Trimester 2 since the implementation of Amendment 16. The qualifying stocks are: Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, American plaice, and witch flounder. These stocks are shaded in grey in the table below showing the revised 2018 common pool trimester apportionments and TACs. In order to facilitate management of the common pool fishery, the Council voted to broaden the authority of the GARFO regional administrator to modify common pool trimester TACs and accountability measures. This way, the regional administrator will have more flexibility to make necessary changes without requiring further Council action.

Southern Windowpane Flounder Accountability Measures for Large-Mesh Non-Groundfish Trawl Fisheries

Also in Framework 57, the Council agreed to modify the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries, which include scup, summer flounder, and other trawl fisheries. Staff from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council collaborated extensively with the New England Council staff to develop the measures and conduct the necessary analyses for this action.

The changes are two-fold. First, the Council extended the flexibility provisions already in place for the commercial groundfish fishery to the large mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries. These provisions reduce the size and duration of the AMs under certain conditions depending on the status of the stock and fishery performance.

Second, the Council approved changes to the Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs) that apply to large-mesh nongroundfish trawl fisheries. The GRAs are shown in the map below.

If either a “small” or “large” accountability measure is triggered – the size depends on the magnitude of the quota overage – the following measures would apply: • The Small AM Area east of Montauk, NY (in red on map) would be implemented seasonally from September 1 through April 30 instead of year round; • The revised Large AM Area 1 east of Montauk (hatched area on map) would be implemented year round; and • The Large AM Area 2 off western Long Island would remain unchanged.

Atlantic Halibut Management Measures

The Council approved changes to the Atlantic halibut accountability measures for vessels possessing federal groundfish permits. If the AMs are triggered, the following would pertain to the halibut GRAs.

  • For the fixed gear AMs, the Council: (1) exempted longline gear; (2) removed Fixed Gear AM Area 1 on Stellwagen Bank; (3) retained the Fixed Gear AM Area 2 on Platts Bank for gillnet gear and added a provision to allow gillnet fishing from November through February in that area (see map).
  • For the Trawl Gear AM Area (see map), selective trawl gear approved by the regional administrator would be required within the entire Trawl Gear AM Area. The Council agreed to allow standard trawl gear in the portion of the area between 41⚬ 40’ N and 42⚬ seasonally from April 1 through July 31.

All other provisions of the gear restricted areas remain in place. The Council made the above modifications to continue protecting halibut while preserving fishing opportunities for vessels targeting other species.

Also related to halibut, the Council approved an accountability measure stipulating that if the halibut subACL is exceeded, a zero possession limit would apply to all federal permit holders, with an exemption for the following permits: party/charter; highly migratory species (HMS) angling; and HMS charter/headboat.

View the full release from the NEFMC here.

 

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

 

Zinke urges commercial fishing in 3 protected areas

December 7, 2017 — Much of the attention to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s review of national monuments has focused on sites across the West, but recommendations he made to President Trump show that a trio of marine monuments could also see significant changes.

In a report Interior released yesterday, Zinke advised that commercial fishing be introduced to three ocean sites: Rose Atoll, Pacific Remote Islands, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts marine national monuments.

Advocates for fishermen cheered the recommendations, asserting the restrictions had created an “economic burden” for their industry.

“The marine monument designation process may have been well intended, but it has simply lacked a comparable level of industry input, scientific rigor, and deliberation,” said New Bedford, Mass., Mayor Jon Mitchell in a statement released by the National Coalition for Fishing Communities.

He added: “That is why I think hitting the reset button ought to be welcomed no matter where one stands in the current fisheries debates, because the end result will be better policy and better outcomes.”

In the report, Zinke criticized restrictions on commercial fishing in the three monuments, discounting the industry’s impact on areas such as the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts near the Massachusetts coast.

Read the full story at E&E News

 

Bullard, fish sector to talk punishment

December 6, 2017 — The New Bedford fishing sector, banned by NOAA from groundfishing for the remainder of this season and possibly beyond because of noncompliance with its own management plan, has issued its rebuttal. And an invitation.

Northeast Fishery Sector IX, accused by NOAA of negligence for allowing Carlos Rafael’s massive illegal misreporting of the scope and nature of his groundfish landings, sent a letter to NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard refuting much of NOAA’s reasoning for the groundfish ban and inviting Bullard to New Bedford to see the changes for himself.

“Sector IX strongly believes that your initial determination was based upon incomplete information and respectfully asks that you reconsider your positions,” Virginia Martins, Sector IX president, wrote Bullard. “This board is willing to reshape the sector for the good of the community and the industry.”

Martins stressed the sector has made “substantial changes in the past six months” by appointing new board members and establishing an enforcement committee.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times