Saving Seafood

Fishing For A Living Is Dangerous. Will Offshore Wind Farms Make It Worse?

July 24, 2019 — On most days, Daniel Farnham is on the dock of his father’s fishing boat, working alongside his crew that catches squid, whiting, and porgy off the coast of New Bedford.

But on this day, the 100-foot boat is out of the water at a metal recycling plant. Farnham is wearing a hard hat, protective glasses, and a safety jacket conducting the boat’s biennial maintenance check looking for rust and chipped paint.

Farnham has been working on the vessel for over four years and says nature’s elements aren’t kind to the boat or fishermen.

“My first real commercial trip was hurricane force winds and 20 foot waves,” Farnham says. “But those are the conditions we operate in because these boats are meant to go out and work.”

Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In 2017, over 40 fishermen died while navigating out at sea — the highest rate of occupational deaths that year.

“[Fishing is] like trying to drive around in a car with no brakes,” Farnham says. “on a road made out of treadmills and having obstacles thrown in your way continuously.”

Farnham says offshore wind farms will make it worse. That’s because fishermen argue the turbines aren’t spaced far enough apart to allow vessels to safely navigate through them.

Read the full story at The Public’s Radio

MASSACHUSETTS: Aging New Bedford fleet helped drive purchase of former copper mill property

July 24, 2019 — The logic behind the decision by Charlie and Michael Quinn, the father and son owners of Quinn Fisheries, to buy the former Revere Copper and Brass property in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was not unlike that of a physician specializing in geriatric care setting up an office somewhere in the state of Florida.

New Bedford has an aging population, too, though it’s the commercial fishing vessels in this case that are elderly.

Undercurrent News confirmed Monday that the Quinns, who have been in the scallop harvesting business since at least 1986, purchased the 14-acre property at 24 North Front Street after it sat idle for about a decade. They plan to convert it into a shipyard, both repairing existing commercial fishing vessels and barges and also building new ones, Michael Quinn, operations manager for the six-vessel commercial scallop harvesting company, told Undercurrent.

The Quinns should have plenty of ships to work with, confirms a review by Undercurrent of the port’s roster of 338 commercial vessels maintained on a database. More than half — 180 scallop and groundfish vessels (53%) — were built before 1980 and another 38 were built between 1980 and 1985.

“We’ve been trying to grow our business here for a while and we see a need so we did our due diligence and everything seems to make sense for us,” Michael Quinn told Undercurrent.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

MASSACHUSETTS: US scallop harvester Quinn Fisheries to convert former copper mill into shipyard

July 23, 2019 — Charlie and Michael Quinn, father and son owners of Quinn Fisheries — a six-vessel  harvesting operation in the US’s scallop landing capitol of New Bedford, Massachusetts — have purchased a historical 14-acre waterfront property once dedicated to metal works and plan to convert it into a shipyard, the New Bedford port authority confirms.

Edward Anthes-Washburn, director of the Port of New Bedford, told Undercurrent Newsthat he has been working for several years to redevelop the property owned by the Revere Copper and Brass complex, on North Front Street, since it opened in 1861. The more than 400,000 square feet worth of structures on the property largely have been dormant since Revere closed the plant in 2008 and shipped much of its equipment to South Korea a year later, according to South Coast Today, the local newspaper.

New Bedford mayor Jon Mitchell told the radio station WBSM 1420 over the weekend that it was his understanding that most of the complex will be brought down to make room for vessel work, though he said he was hopeful that an icehouse, built out of granite that played a role in the city’s history whaling history, would be restored.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

MASSACHUSETTS: Lobster Processing Expansion Proposal Headed to Governor’s Desk

July 22, 2019 — The following was released by the Office Of The Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Senator Bruce Tarr (R-MA):

The conference committee report on the state Fiscal Year 2020 budget, expected to be approved today by the legislature, contains a major provision to strengthen the Massachusetts lobster fishery, thanks to a persistent effort by the State Senate and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr.

The long sought for change in law that has limited the sale, transport and processing of unfrozen shell-on lobster parts. Up to 80% of lobsters landed in the state are sent away for processing which experts say often means that Bay State lobsters are brought back for sale to consumers with a ‘Product of Canada’ label.

The State Senate had previously approved a similar measure authored by Gloucester Senator Bruce Tarr in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Senate proposals have attracted a bi-partisan coalition of state Senators seeking to reform the outdated lobster processing laws and support economic opportunities to grow the industry and related jobs.

The state budget conference committee report adopted today gives final approval of the lobster language, which authorizes dealers licensed by the Department of Public Health, to proceed under the new framework.

While the sale of live, cooked, and canned lobster is legal in the state, the law currently requires Massachusetts lobstermen and seafood vendors to sell or transport lobster out-of-state for processing.

“We have the second-largest lobster catch in the nation yet, without this change in law, our raw and frozen lobster parts are processed in Canada or Maine only to then be brought back to local consumers,” said Senator Tarr. “By modernizing these lobster laws we bolster the fishing industry, give consumers more choices, and sustainably support coastal fishing communities.”

“The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association greatly appreciates Senator Tarr’s commitment over the last several years to modernize the lobster processing laws here in the Commonwealth. We are excited to see full on lobster processing and sales of lobster items soon to help further grow the demands for Massachusetts lobster,” said Beth Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association.

“I’m proud of the work the Senate has done to ensure the sustainability and viability of the state’s lobster industry, which will give consumers more choices and benefit lobstermen in coastal communities statewide,” said Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport). “The lobster industry is a vital part of the Commonwealth’s economy and identity, and I applaud Senator Tarr and my colleagues in the House and Senate for supporting it.”

A Division of Marine Fisheries issued a report recommending adoption of the proposal citing an evolving interest from consumers in value added lobster in the form of shell-on tails and claws. The report says that the global market for Massachusetts landed lobster would be more readily accommodated with the new law.

“Removing archaic barriers to lobster processing in Massachusetts is a big boost to New Bedford’s local economy where our businesses can finally expand and create the jobs,” said Senator Montigny (D-New Bedford), lead cosponsor of the bipartisan effort. “For years, the Senate has repeatedly supported this policy and it is a relief that we can finally deliver it to the Governor’s desk.”

Lawmakers say that shifting handling from Maine and Canada will boost the viability and prosperity of the industry which will result in job creation. The lobster industry is a critical part of the Commonwealth’s economy and heritage with more than 900 licensed lobstermen landing

“I am glad to join my colleagues 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.”

Currently, up to 80% of lobsters landed in the state are sent to out of state processing facilities and industry leaders say the move will facilitate opportunities to create and grow jobs in the state. The Marine Fisheries report notes that the lobster demand has spiked and has continued to evolve in favor of processed lobster parts. The report noted that most US consumers do not know how to prepare live lobster and prefer processed lobster products.

“East Coast Seafood Group is very pleased that lobster processing expansion will now become law. We applaud Senator Tarr, The Baker-Polito administration and the bi-partisan effort to create jobs within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Bob Blais, Senior Vice President of East Coast Seafood Group. “The Law will further expand a multi-million dollar industry in the state, and most of all support the hardworking fishermen that drive this industry.”

The provision and the final version of the budget bill must still be approved by Governor Charlie Baker.

America’s Got Scallops: Catch Is Up, Consumers Shelling Out

July 22, 2019 — America’s harvest of scallops is increasing to near-record levels at a time when the shellfish are in high demand and the value of the fishery has surged in recent years.

Sea scallops, harvested mostly by boats from the cold Atlantic Ocean, are the target of one of the most valuable fisheries in America. New data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the harvest topped 58.2 million pounds last year, the highest total since 2011 and the fifth-highest in history, according to federal statistics going back to 1945.

The availability of scallops for consumers hasn’t changed much as the U.S. harvest has long been supplemented by foreign sources. Prices to consumers have also held about steady.

The value of the fishery itself, though, is rising. American scallops were worth $532.9 million at the docks last year. That’s the third-highest figure on record and more than $100 million higher than the 2014 total.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at WBUR

Vineyard Wind wants federal review within 6 weeks

July 19, 2019 — Vineyard Wind has given the federal agency in charge of permits for its offshore wind farm up to six weeks to issue a key environmental review document, after the agency announced last week it would not meet a summer deadline.

“Through all of our communications with government officials, it has been made clear to us that there was no intention to prevent the Vineyard Wind 1 project from moving forward,” the New Bedford-based company said in a statement Thursday.

The company has told the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, though, that for a variety of reasons “it would be very challenging” to move ahead with the 84-turbine project south of the Islands in its current configuration if the final environmental impact statement is not issued within approximately four to six weeks.

The final impact statement is a review of the $2 billion construction of the offshore wind farm and its operation. The statement is a key document but one of a half-dozen federal reviews underway for the project.

In its statement, Vineyard Wind said the federal agency indicated that it understood the reasons for the company’s constraints and that it intended to communicate that to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Vineyard Wind said it has communicated directly with Bernhardt as well about its concerns regarding the delay.

“Vineyard Wind notes that it is not unusual for there to be ongoing review of an environmental impact statement as it makes its way through the internal approval process, especially for a project of this significance,” the company said in the statement. “The National Environmental Policy Act requires an environmental impact statement to consider all best available information, which we believe BOEM has done. We are therefore confident that any remaining reviews can be concluded and an FEIS released soon after.”

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Gift from the sea: New Bedford’s bounty starts with scallops

July 16, 2019 — On a recent evening at Cork Wine & Tapas, which occupies a stone warehouse built when New Bedford was king of whaling, four people at the bar made quick work of the pan-seared sea scallops.

It’s a hard dish to eat slowly. I know — I’ve been hooked on Cork’s famous plateful since the harborside restaurant opened in 2007. The scallop meats, firm but tender, are served on ginger-garlic jasmine rice and irresistibly drizzled with roasted macadamia cream sauce. The added bonus, of course, is that the scallops on your fork are nearly fresh off the boat.

“Fresh! Never frozen,” said Cork’s chef, Nick Santerre, who receives two batches of scallops from his suppliers each week. “There’s no need for frozen!” Santerre spoke so fervently about how he sources his scallops, I thought he must be descended from Portuguese fishermen, but it turns out he’s part French and Irish with a whisker of Native American.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford’s fishing faces take their place in Library of Congress

July 3, 2019 — The American Folklife Center (AFC) is excited to be featuring “Working on the Waterfront,” a documentary display of photographs created by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center in New Bedford.

The display, which is located in Room LJ-G53 on the ground floor of the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., is open to the public through October.

In 2016, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center received a prestigious Archie Green Fellowship from the American Folklife Center to document workers on the New Bedford waterfront for AFC’s Occupational Folklife Project (OFP).

The OFP is an ongoing research initiative to record the lives, careers, and experiences of contemporary workers in a wide range of trades and occupations throughout the United States.

Under the direction of NBFHC Executive Director Laura Orleans, funds from the competitive fellowship were used to hire researchers to record oral histories and photograph almost 60 workers involved in diverse fishing-related trades and occupations on the New Bedford waterfront.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishermen, Climate Activists Clash Over Wind Farm Cable

July 1, 2019 — Commercial fishermen and climate activists packed the Ted B. Morgan meeting room last Wednesday, sparring with each other during a marathon, five-hour public hearing before the Edgartown conservation commission over two proposed undersea cables that would connect the nation’s first industrial-scale offshore wind-farm to the mainland.

Although the cables have been approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, among other regulatory bodies, the portions of the cables in Edgartown waters are also subject to review by the town conservation commission under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. The two, 220 kilovolt cables will run approximately one mile from Chappaquiddick’s eastern shore, connecting the proposed 80-turbine Vineyard Wind project to an electrical generating station in Barnstable.

Vineyard Wind, the New Bedford-based subsidiary of a Danish renewable energy company, bought two offshore wind lease areas from the federal government in 2015 and 2018. During an extensive permitting process over the past two years, wind farm developers have promised that impacts from the undersea cables will have a minor to negligible effect on marine life and seafloor habitats. The project has received substantial support from environmental activists on the Island, who believe that offshore wind is the most effective way for communities in the American northeast to combat climate change.

But at the hearing on Thursday, about a dozen commercial fishermen spoke out passionately against the project, arguing that renewable energy projects shouldn’t be pursued at the potential expense of some of the world’s most fertile fishing grounds.

“I’m an advocate for renewable energy and sustainable fisheries. I just think this project is going to have way more of an impact than they are saying it is,” said John Osmers, an Island commercial fisherman. “Who knows what we’re going to disturb and what species of marine life we’re going to damage with this project? I’d like to for there to be renewable energy, I just don’t think this is the way.”

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette

Fishermen face uphill battle in lawsuit over New York wind site

July 1, 2019 — Fishermen and the city of New Bedford are facing an uphill battle in their fight against a New York offshore wind location after losing a lawsuit in September.

Attorney David Frulla, who represents the Fisheries Survival Fund and other plaintiffs in the case, said he was disappointed at the court decision but has not given up.

“I just don’t think the judge understood that these leases aren’t theoretical, that they actually confer rights,” he said.

The Fisheries Survival Fund is leading a dozen plaintiffs. They sued the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in 2016, saying the agency had not done enough to seek alternatives to important fishing grounds.

United States District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan in September granted the federal government’s motion for summary judgment, meaning she believed they made their case as a matter of law, without a trial.

The plaintiffs filed a motion to amend the decision, which is still pending.

Mayor Jon Mitchell said Friday that the city shares the disappointment of the other plaintiffs but believes there are strong grounds for the judge to reconsider.

“The decisions made by federal agencies about what happens in New York waters have major implications for New Bedford fishermen, so we have no choice but to fight when we believe our interests are not being taken into account,” he said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times