Saving Seafood

Wandering seal pup rescued at Yarmouth pizza shop

January 2, 2018 — YARMOUTH PORT, Mass. — A harbor seal pup seemed to have her heart set on an anchovy pizza when she wandered a couple of miles inland Friday night and wound up in the parking lot of Yarmouth Pizza by Evan.

Brian Sharpe, manager of Marine Mammal Rescue and Research for the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Yarmouth Port, said it appeared the 6-month-old pup had followed winding White’s Creek inland from Grays Beach through a marsh and crossed Route 6A near Weir Road where the creek goes under the road.

“This does happen, especially with the younger ones,” said Sharpe. He and a veterinarian from IFAW responded to the pizza shop’s parking lot where the 3-foot-long, 40-pound seal had been placed into a box, then transferred to a pet crate by passerby who were concerned the animal would cross Route 6A again and get hit by a vehicle.

Although they were well-intentioned, Sharpe cautioned the public against approaching or handling marine mammals. The National Marine Fisheries Service guidelines ask people to remain at least 150 feet from seals.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Phil Paleologos: Bullard’s Wrongheaded Assessment

December 29, 2017 — John Bullard is a likable guy. I know him to be an attentive listener and someone who must be applauded for his revitalization efforts through local historic preservation. But over the past five years, as one of five regional fisheries administrators of NOAA, John Bullard has made some wayward decisions, from imposing a moratorium on fishing cod to responding to the Carlos Rafael scam.

With little signaling, he sent shock waves through the fishing community when he announced he was prohibiting 60 permit holders connected with Rafael from going out to sea until next May and perhaps beyond that! Bullard was not willing to listen to all the parties who are losing millions and millions of dollars in our local economy. He told the Boston Globe, “That’s something the sector should have thought about when they were failing to do their job.” So much for his so-called inspirational essay in the Boston Globe appealing to our better angels.

John Bullard is more concerned with the debt that must be paid by our local sector for the unknown number of species overfished rather than the job-killing measures he approved!

Read the full opinion piece at WBSM

In plea deal, former National Fish president likely to pay $1m in restitution

December 29, 2017 — Former National Fish and Seafood president Jack Ventola will likely pay $1 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and face jail time after defrauding his former company, which is majority owned by Hong Kong-based conglomerate Pacific Andes International Holdings (PAIH).

Ventola was arrested on Nov. 23, 2015, in connection with failing to pay taxes on more than $2 million in income he earned from 2006 to 2009, according to the US attorney’s office for the district of Massachusetts. He was indicted on three counts of filing false tax returns and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS.

Ventola and two others, former National Fish senior sales executive Richard Pandolfo, and Michael Bruno, an accountant who didn’t work for the company but served on its board, face charges that include tax fraud in connection with an alleged scheme that reportedly charged the company for labor services never provided.

Pandolfo and Bruno pleaded guilty but have yet to be sentenced. Ventola had initially pleaded not guilty but later signed a plea agreement with prosecutors that was filed on Dec. 19. As part of that agreement, Ventola admitted to seven counts of making and subscribing a false tax return while prosecutors dropped three more serious charges: conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud.

For the charges he admitted to Ventola could face a maximum of three years in prison, three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution.

However, prosecutors will instead recommend a lesser prison sentence, a to be determined fine and $1.073m in restitution. Judge Douglas Woodlock is slated to sentence Ventola on March 27.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

BULLARD: Blame Rafael, not NOAA, for Sector IX Shutdown

December 28, 2017 — When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration closed down Sector IX to groundfishing back on November 20, many felt the organization was punishing New Bedford fishermen for the actions of “The Codfather” Carlos Rafael. It was Rafael’s vessels that went over catch limits as part of his overfishing scheme that sent him to federal prison.

NOAA regional administrator John Bullard told WBSM News that shutting down the sector isn’t about any kind of sanctions or punitive actions for Rafael’s scheme, but rather for cleaning up the mess he left behind.

“The basic responsibility of a sector is to report the catch, and to keep vessels within the limits for that sector for all the species of groundfish,” Bullard said. “To this date, we don’t know how many fish the vessels in Sector IX have caught. We don’t know how much they have exceeded the limits on some of their catch, and we think some of those overages are significant.”

Bullard said that since 2012, when NOAA went to the quota-based system, it has been each sector’s responsibility to keep track of its own catch.

“They can lease back and forth within a sector, they can lease fish from one sector to another,” he said. “That’s all designed to maximize efficiency and keep government kind of out of it, and allow the efficiency of the private sector to work. Mr. Rafael misused that system, and until we understand how much they went over and what species, we’re not about to let the boats go fishing again.”

Bullard said NOAA initially reviewed the sector’s operation plan back in May along with those of all the other sectors, as the fishing year begins on May 1.

“I decided at that time, that even though there were problems with Sector IX last May, we would allow them to continue operating because the trial had not taken place. We felt we should let them operate until the trial concluded,” he said. “We faced a lot of criticism for that decision.”

But once the trial was completed and Rafael was sentenced to about four years in prison, the decision was made to halt operations in Sector IX until the extent of the overfishing could be determined. As part of the shut down, the Sector IX vessels cannot join other sectors, or the common pool.

Read the full story at WBSM

Ex-National Fish president pleads guilty to tax fraud

December 28, 2017 — The former president of East Gloucester-based National Fish pleaded guilty to seven counts of tax evasion on Friday as part of a deal with federal prosecutors that removed more serious conspiracy charges involving at least one other National Fish executive.

Jack A. Ventola of Ipswich changed his plea to guilty last Tuesday and now faces up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of at least $250,000 for each of the seven counts. Ventola also was ordered to make restitution of $1.07 million to the IRS.

As part of the agreement, Ventola, whose sentencing is set for March 27 in U.S. District Court in Boston, must pay at least $200,000 of the restitution at or before sentencing.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Fishing is a deadly business, but many fishermen won’t wear life preservers

December 27, 2017 — One rogue wave or false step, an ankle caught in a line, is all it takes to cast a fisherman overboard. But those risks have never been enough to convince Rick Beal that it’s worth wearing a life preserver.

Even though he has never learned how to swim.

Commercial fishing ranks among the most dangerous professions, but fishermen — fiercely independent and resistant to regulations — have long shunned life preservers, often dismissing the flotation devices as inconvenient and constraining.

Between 2000 and 2013, 665 US fishermen died at sea, nearly one-third of them after falling overboard. Not one of the latter group was wearing a life preserver, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Unlike many mariners, commercial fishermen aren’t required to wear them, although the government requires their boats to carry life preservers.

When a clam boat sank off Nantucket earlier this month, two fishermen who were apparently not wearing flotation devices died, while a pair of crew members who managed to put on life-saving gear survived.

The fatal capsizing of the Misty Blue has renewed calls for requiring fishermen to wear life preservers, just as bikers must wear helmets and drivers use seat belts. Those safety measures also faced considerable resistance before gaining acceptance.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

 

New England fishermen worry that wind turbines could impact their catch

December 26, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — East Coast fishermen are turning a wary eye toward an emerging upstart: the offshore wind industry.

In New Bedford, fishermen dread the possibility of navigating a forest of turbines as they make their way to the fishing grounds that have made it the nation’s most lucrative fishing port for 17 years running.

The state envisions hundreds of wind turbines spinning off the city’s shores in about a decade, enough to power more than 1 million homes.

‘‘You ever see a radar picture of a wind farm? It’s just one big blob, basically,’’ said Eric Hansen, 56, a New Bedford scallop boat owner whose family has been in the business for generations. ‘‘Transit through it will be next to impossible, especially in heavy wind and fog.’’

Off New York’s Long Island, an organization representing East Coast scallopers has sued the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to try to halt a proposal for a nearly 200-turbine wind farm. Commercial fishermen in Maryland’s Ocean City and North Carolina’s Outer Banks have also sounded the alarm about losing access to fishing grounds.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Globe

 

Letter: Fishermen need a fish bill

December 26, 2017 — My name is Sam Parisi from Gloucester, Massachusetts. I am retired and want to devote my time to help our fishing industry at no charge to anyone.

We have many problems, thanks in part to NOAA ‘s restrictions. We have tried to turn the tide. NOAA has grown so big, so rather than fight it, let us together find a solution that would be welcome to all.

I believe the solution is federal legislation. Farmers have a farm bill; fishermen need a fish bill. The drastic cuts in quota that our fishermen have incurred over the last two years are driving even the hardest fishermen out of business. Without fish, fishermen and fish houses cannot survive. We all know Economics 101 and the domino effect of lost revenue. Waterfront properties will become liabilities instead of assets and our tax base will evaporate.

Are we going to sit back and watch what we know will happen and then react? The crystal ball is right in front of us. NOAA has shown us our future. NO FISH MEANS NO MONEY. So what are we going to do about it? Are we going to be proactive and do something before the bleeding starts?

Read the full letter at the Gloucester Times

 

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

 

States Schedule Public Hearings on Draft Addendum XXX Board Seeks Input on Regional Management Options for Black Sea Recreational Fisheries for 2018 and Beyond

December 22, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Comission:

Atlantic states from Massachusetts through Virginia have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum XXX to the Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The details of those hearings follow:

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

January 9, 2018 at 6 PM

Bourne Community Center, Room 2

239 Main Street

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Contact: Nichola Meserve at 617.626.1531

Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife

January 17, 2018 at 6 PM

University of Rhode Island Bay Campus

Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Contact: Robert Ballou at 401.222.4700 ext. 4420

Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection

January 10, 2018 at 7 PM

Marine Headquarters

Boating Education Center (Rear Building)

333 Ferry Road

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Contact: Mark Alexander at 860.447.4322

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

January 11, 2018 at 6 PM

Division of Marine Resources

205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1

East Setauket, New York

Contact: John Maniscalco at 631.444.0437

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

January 4, 2018 at 6:30 PM

Galloway Township Branch of the Atlantic County Library

306 East Jimmie Leeds Road

Galloway, New Jersey

Contact: Peter Clarke at 609.748.2020

Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control

January 3, 2018 at 6 PM*

DNREC Shoreline & Waterway Services Facility

901 Pilottown Road

Lewes, Delaware

Contact: John Clark at 302.739.9914

* Facility doors will not open until 5:30 PM

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

January 8, 2018 at 6 PM

Ocean Pines Library

11107 Cathell Road

Berlin, Maryland 21811

Contact: Steve Doctor at 410.213.1531

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

January 16, 2018 at 6 PM

2600 Washington Avenue

4th Floor Conference Room

Newport News, Virginia

Contact: Rob O’Reilly at 757.247.2248

Draft Addendum XXX was initiated to consider alternative regional management approaches for the recreational fishery, including options for regional allocation of the recreational harvest limit (RHL) based on historical harvest and exploitable biomass. The Draft Addendum also includes an option for coastwide management of black sea bass recreational fisheries should a regional approach not be approved for management.

In recent years, challenges in the black sea bass recreational fishery have centered on providing equitable access to the resource in the face of uncertain population size, structure, and distribution. Since 2012, the recreational fishery has been managed under an ad-hoc regional management approach, whereby the states of Massachusetts through New Jersey have individually crafted measures aimed at reducing harvest by the same percent, while the states of Delaware through North Carolina have set their regulations consistent with the federal waters measures. While this approach allowed the states flexibility in setting measures, some states expressed concerns about equity and accountability in constraining harvest to coastwide catch limits. Additionally, the 2016 Benchmark Stock Assessment provided information on the abundance and distribution of the resource along the coast that was not previously available to include in the management program.

Draft Addendum XXX proposes two approaches for regional allocation of the RHL in the black sea bass recreational fishery: (1) allocation based on a combination of stock biomass and harvest information, or (2) allocation based solely on historical harvest. The regional allocation options offer advantages over coastwide regulations by addressing geographic differences in the stock (size, abundance, and seasonality) while allowing for more uniformity in measures between neighboring states. The Draft Addendum also proposes an option for evaluating harvest and adjusting measures against the annual catch limit, which aims to reduce year to year changes in management measures.

Anglers and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Addendum XXX either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/BSBDraftAddendumXXX_PublicComment.pdf and can also be accessed on the Commission website (www.asmfc.org) under Public Input. To aid the submission of public comment, please refer to the decision tree found in Appendix III on PDF page 23, which outlines the management options being considered. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on January 22, 2018 and should be forwarded to Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XXX).

Learn more about the ASMFC by visiting their site here.