Saving Seafood

Environmental Advocates, Fishermen At Odds Over Turning Cashes Ledge Into National Monument

February 2, 2016 — It’s clear from listening to fishermen that they’re ambivalent about the fisheries management process and the rules it produces. They feel like the rules are stacked against them, but they abide by the council’s decisions, because that is the process they have signed onto. The presidential order would fall outside that process.

Jackie Odell advocates for New England groundfishermen with the Northeast Seafood Coalition. She said the fisheries management process is public and transparent, and decisions are data-driven, goal-specific and reached through compromise.

“You know, there’s legislation that’s out there to protect this process,” she said. “And if we don’t want to use that process what are we doing and why? Why are all stakeholders — states, fishermen, NGOs, scientific community — all engaging in a process that in the end we are going to say, it doesn’t matter.”

But, she added, the fishing industry and environmental groups don’t have to be adversaries: Fishermen are also concerned about mining and natural gas exploration.

Witman, the longtime Cashes Ledge researcher, agrees.

“In the long run, I think we want the same thing. We both value a healthy resilient ocean that can support fisheries,” he said.

But the sticking point might be one of perspective.

Many fishermen, including Testaverde, entered this profession because it’s what their family had been doing for generations. They take immense pride in their work and their heritage. They fear a future in which their descendants won’t experience that.

Skerry, the photographer, fears a future in which one of Earth’s beautiful places is irrevocably damaged.

Read the full story at WBUR News

Habitat Designation Key to Right Whale Recovery

February 2,2016— There is reason to be optimistic that the recent move by the federal government to expand the protected habitat of the North Atlantic right whale will protect the endangered species without harming its equally at-risk ocean neighbor, the commercial fishing industry.

The mammals and fishermen have historically been at cross purposes. The whales were given their name because they were the “right” whale to kill, thanks to their proximity to shore and the fact that they floated when dead, allowing them to be easily towed behind a whaler. The modern fishing industry no longer targets the whales, of course, but the mammals can get tangled in lost or discarded fishing line and gear, which often leads to their death.

 Commercial whaling decimated the once-thriving right whale species in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Just a few decades ago, only 300 or so remained. Over the last three decades, however, conservation efforts have brought the number to around 500.

“We have made progress,” David Gouveia, the marine mammal and sea turtle conservation coordinator for the Greater Atlantic Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service, told the Associated Press. “We are on a positive trajectory but there is still plenty of work to be done.”

Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it was expanding its list of right whale habitat, adding calving grounds off the coast of the Carolinas and feeding grounds off New England. The move designates more than 30,000 square nautical miles as critical.

The designation, set to go into effect at the end of the month, means projects that require federal permits — such as dredging or building oil rigs or wind farms — will now be measured at least in part on how they affect the whales’ habitat.

“It’s a very important move,” Charles “Stormy” Mayo, director of right whale habitat studies at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, told the Boston Globe. “It’s pretty tough to put a small box around a wild animal, especially a whale that travels many thousands of miles each year of its life. … What we have here is an adjustment that recognizes the wide use of the environment that supports these whales.”

The measure is not expected to affect fishing or lobstering operations. Both industries have scrapped with the federal government in the past over how best to help the whales rebound while keeping hundreds of small businesses afloat. Those negotiations have often been complicated by lawsuits from environmental groups looking to force a solution, generally at the expense of fishermen.

“It’s a very real fear among the fishing industry,” Patrice McCarron of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association told the Bangor Daily News. “The right whale issue has been a very litigious issue — period.”

Read the full editorial at Gloucester Daily Times

 

Gloucester Massachusetts Looks to Hook Interest in its Seafood

January 31, 2016—The icebreaker was last year, when the city of Gloucester made its first foray to the vast and international Seafood Expo North America at the Boston Convention Center.

The mission was simple: raise Gloucester’s profile among the thousands of seafood buyers who flock to the show from just about every point on the planet and develop the kind of relationships that will thrust the city’s harvesters, processors and, of course, seafood into the international mix.

The effort, both inside and outside the city, was viewed as a raging success. So, with that precedent, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken placed a little quest in front of point man Sal Di Stefano.

“The mayor challenged us to do it even bigger and better this year,” said Di Stefano, the city’s director of economic development.

Toward that end, Di Stefano has amassed an armada of city resources, Gloucester-based seafood businesses, volunteers, nonprofits and assistance from Endicott College to set sail for this year’s Seafood Expo North America with a more expansive plan centered on the city’s seafood marketing campaign of Gloucester Fresh Seafood.

“It’s a tremendous amount of work for everyone involved, but it’s really exciting how the entire community has responded,” Di Stefano said. “And we’re the only ones doing it like this.”

Seafood strategy

The city, which has budgeted $10,000 for the March 6-8 event and doubled the size of its booth, is the only Massachusetts municipality that will have a presence at the show.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

 

Massachusetts sector managers detail fishing costs

January 29, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD — Managers of area fishery sectors on Friday said many local groundfish boats could face daily charges of $125 or less-frequent charges of about $500, to pay for government-mandated monitoring of their catches.

Sector 9 manager Stephanie Rafael-DeMello and Sector 13 manager John Haran both said they negotiated with East West Technical Services, which has an office in Narragansett, R.I., for catch-monitoring services for which fishermen expect to begin paying around March 1.

Rafael-DeMello said the negotiated price was “just under $500 a day,” per boat. But because regulators randomly select boats for monitoring, she said, Sector 9 will spread the cost evenly, charging boats a flat rate of $125 per sea day in order to foot the overall costs of monitoring, which will apply only to about 20 percent of trips.

“We figured it will kind of ease the blow,” Rafael-DeMello said. “It will be a fair way for all of the vessels to share that cost.”

Sector 9 has about 21 groundfishing boats, nearly all of which operate out of New Bedford.

“We’re looking to see if we can afford to keep them all fishing, with the (quota) cuts and the costs that are coming next year,” Rafael-DeMello said. “It’s definitely going to be a struggle, to say the least.”

Read the full story at New Bedford Standard Times

 

An hour with: The Woods Hole Science Aquarium

February 1, 2016 — WOODS HOLE, Mass. — The cart of food wouldn’t look totally out of place at an upscale sushi restaurant: capelin and herring, both whole and neatly chopped, mysis shrimp and cubes of gelatin packed with ground fish, broccoli, carrots and spinach.

But these restaurant-grade meals aren’t for fine dining; they’re for the fish and other marine animals that call the Woods Hole Science Aquarium home.

The free aquarium is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service and is open five days a week. But fish need to eat even on weekends or federal holidays. So every morning, usually before the doors open at 11 a.m., one of the three staff members or five regular volunteers comes to dole out a specific mix of edibles to the critters in each tank, clean the tanks or perform other behind-the-scenes maintenance at the nation’s oldest public aquarium at 166 Water St.

Alison Brodet, a marine biologist who volunteers at the aquarium once a week, briefly conferred with senior biologist Kristy Owen about the morning’s feeding. Some usually ravenous fish were being slower to the food today, but Owen wasn’t worried. The bigger fish will eat more than once a day, but the smaller fish may eat only once a day or less, depending on their temperament.

Read the full story at Cape Cod Times

 

UMass School for Marine Science and Technology – DFO Seminar – February 3, 2016

February 1, 2016 — The following was released by the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology:

Department of Fisheries Oceanography 

All Climate is Local:  Lessons in communicating science to the public

Heather Goldstone

NPR Radio Station WCAI and

Science Editor & Host of “Living Lab”

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

SMAST II, Room 157

200 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA     

Note: Seminar will be simulcast to SMAST I, Room 204.

You can view the seminar live by clicking on “live event”  

Please note: the earliest you will be able to log in is 15 minutes before the regularly scheduled time.

To view a video of an SMAST seminar (post-October 1, 2014), go to http://www.umassd.edu/smast/newsandevents/seminarseries/ and click on a highlighted title.

Fishing industry fighting cost of at-sea monitors

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — January 28, 2016 — Fishermen are opposing new catch-monitoring costs that could take effect March 1, as a judge’s ruling this week gave the industry a setback in efforts to block the transition from government funding.

John Haran of Dartmouth, manager of a local fishery sector, said in December that transferring the regulatory costs to the fishing industry could put more than 40 local groundfishing boats out of business. Local fishing industry tycoon Carlos Rafael said the costs — potentially about $700 per monitored trip — could mean repeated expenses of $14,000 across 20 groundfishing boats in his fleet.

“If they force that down our throats, the party is over,” Rafael said Thursday, before citing a vintage song. “Good night, Irene – it’s over for everybody.”

Regulators say the per-trip costs for monitoring – when private service providers put people on commercial fishing boats to count catches of cod, haddock, and some flounder, to track quotas – could be less than $700, given industry negotiations with private contractors.

Teri Frady, spokesman at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, said Thursday that March 1 was the latest estimate for when fishermen, not the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), would begin paying the cost of at-sea monitoring.

“What we paid, as the government, the total package for a sea day was around $700 — but we don’t know what that figure is going to be when the sectors do their own contracting,” Frady said. “Recognizing the economic issues in the industry, the agency has picked up the (at-sea) cost, but now we don’t have allocation to do that.”
A group representing East Coast fishermen sued the federal government in December, in U.S. District Court in Concord, N.H., seeking to block the  transfer of payments.

Read the full story from the New Bedford Standard-Times

Bill to Expand Lobster Sales Adopted by Massachusetts State Senate

January 28, 2016 — BOSTON — The following was released by the Office of State Senator Bruce Tarr:

The State Senate today adopted a bill which updates Massachusetts’ lobster laws to permit the processing, sale, and transportation of cooked and frozen in-shell lobster parts.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester) sponsored the measure to end prohibitions on in-state sales and processing of lobster parts to accommodate the growing interest of consumers.  The bill, supported by the Massachusetts lobster industry, is expected to cause an expansion of lobster processed in state and a reduction in lobster diversions to Canadian processors. 

“This bill will allow more American lobsters currently being harvested and purchased here and subsequently processed in Canada, to be prepared for market in Massachusetts,” said Tarr. “The net effect of modernizing the law will bolster local economic activity for lobstermen, processors, and local restaurants and food stores.”

Tarr expressed appreciation for coastal Senators Mark Montigny (D- New Bedford),Vinny deMacedo (R- Plymouth), Daniel Wolf (D-Harwich) 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.  I commend Senator Tarr’s leadership as the sponsor of this bill and am proud to have partnered with him in seeing this through to passage.  It is my hope the House will quickly follow the Senate’s lead to have a bill on the Governor’s desk as soon as possible.” said Senator Montigny.

“I am thrilled that the Senate has taken steps to bring this bill forward with a unanimous vote and I know that the lobstermen will be pleased with the advancements that we’ve made,” said Senator deMacedo.

The lobster industry is a critical part of the Commonwealth’s economy and heritage with more than 900 licensed lobstermen.  A similar law in Maine has boosted Maine’s economy, produced local outlets for product sales, and created jobs in the state.

“The action of the Senate today helps consumers, suppliers and lobstermen, I expect that we will see an economic boost for the lobstermen in my district and in other coastal communities in the state as well,” said Senator Rodrigues.

 “Our historic lobster industry deserves the opportunity to be more creative and flexible in how they market and sell their popular product,” said Cape and Islands Senator Wolf. “This legislation is a huge help in that regard, and will create economic benefits that will ripple through our coastal communities.”

While the sale of live, cooked, and canned lobster is legal in the state, the legislation expands the industry market with the inclusion of other lobster products. The Senate bill allows Department of Public Health licensed wholesale dealers to process unfrozen lobsters, authorizes the importation of unfrozen shell-on lobster parts and tails, and it allows for the retail of previously frozen raw in-shell tails.

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries will be responsible for maintaining 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.

The bill now moves to the House for further consideration.

Lobsterman faces multiple court dates over fishing charges

January 27, 2016 — Gloucester lobsterman Joseph Sanfilippo has several court dates in his future for alleged violations of Massachusetts fishing regulations.

On Tuesday, Sanfilippo, 48, of 1 Thorn Hill Way, Gloucester, was in Gloucester District Court for a clerk magistrate’s hearing that was continued to March 1.

The charges from that hearing — reportedly for numerous violations — would not be released until after the hearing was conducted. The magistrate would also determine if there were legal grounds to allow the charges to go forward.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Feds to Help Gloucester Mass. Brand its Seafood

January 26, 2015 — Gloucester’s effort to develop a specific brand for the bounty of seafood yanked from local waters, as well as the means to promote food produced at local farms, is receiving a boost from the Obama administration.

The White House’s Rural Council chose Gloucester as one of 27 communities nationwide from about 350 municipal applicants to participate in the Local Foods, Local Places initiative designed to help transform locally harvested food into local economic development and healthier eating.

 Gloucester is the only Massachusetts community included in the initiative, as well as the only city in the Northeast that will receive the technical support and advice from a bevy of experts on the best methods for developing local food projects specific to Gloucester and Cape Ann, according to Gloucester Economic Development Director Sal Di Stefano.

“It’s really a feather in our cap for us as a city to be recognized in this way,” Di Stefano said. “Farm-to-table is a very recognizable concept these days, and what we want to do is develop a similar concept along the lines of sea-to-table or dock-to-dish.”

As part of the initiative, city officials will work with experts in the areas of agriculture, transportation, environmental affairs, public health and regional economics to produce local food projects that could help regenerate the city’s ailing fishing industry while also promoting other regional sources of food and healthier eating.

The projects, according to Di Stefano, could include test kitchens, downtown food hubs, food business incubators and food security outreach programs.

Working with the experts will help the city and its food businesses more narrowly focus on the specific methods for expanding markets for locally grown and harvested foods, whether from land or sea, he said.

“They’ll be able to come in and advise us on what’s worked best in other parts of the country that we might be able to tailor to Gloucester,” Di Stefano said. “That way, we’ll be able to sort through all the options and focus our energies in particular areas that give us the best way to connect our resources to our residents. Who knows what this can lead to?”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times