Saving Seafood

New Bedford Fishing Captains Discuss Impacts of Shutdown

January 28, 2019 —  Jack Morris and Justin Dube, scallop boat captains fishing out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, shared with Saving Seafood how the recent federal government shutdown negatively affected their businesses.

Capts. Morris and Dube discussed how the closure of NOAA offices prevented them from getting necessary permits from the agency for their scallop fishing vessels. Without these permits, they were unable to fish during the shutdown, negatively impacting their livelihoods and those of their crews.

The captains were in Washington for a Chamber of Commerce event where people from around the country shared how they were negatively affected by the 35-day shutdown.

View the full interview here

New England Fisherman to Share Shutdown Experience on U.S. Chamber of Commerce Panel

January 24, 2019 – WASHINGTON – A New Bedford fishing captain will share how he has been impacted by the federal government shutdown as part of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce panel tomorrow in Washington.

Captain Jack Morris will take part in “Day 35: The Real Economic Impact of the Government Shutdown,” hosted by the Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The event will “[bring] real people to Washington to talk about the real hardships the shutdown is causing in all 50 states.” It will feature “owners of small businesses that are suffering in communities across the country, as well as representatives of companies that are stepping up to help federal workers at a time of deep and prolonged need.”

The impact of the government shutdown on the fishing industry was part of a recent Washington Post report on the shutdown.

The handful of exempt NOAA officials currently working are doing their best to keep the agency functioning. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) complimented the “outstanding work” of Chris Oliver, NOAA assistant administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, in keeping Alaska fisheries in business. Mr. Oliver tapped funds the agency had collected from the industry to bring some employees back from furlough.

But there are not enough staff working to address everyone’s needs. John Lees, a scallop vessel owner on whose vessels Captain Morris works, discussed how the closure of NOAA offices has prevented him from catching up to $1.5 million worth of seafood. “All we’re looking for now is for NOAA to just assign a number. That’s it,” Mr. Lees told the Post, when describing how the shutdown has prevented him from completing the necessary paperwork to transfer required fishing permits to his new boat. Without those permits, Mr. Lees’ vessel will remain unable to fish.

The event will take place Friday, January 25, from 8:30-10:30am, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters at 1615 H Street NW, Washington DC. More information on how to register to attend in person, or to view the panel discussion via live stream is available here.

Sea Watch worker dies after accident at New Bedford plant

January 22, 2019 — A 63-year-old worker at Sea Watch International’s New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A. seafood processing plant died on 6 January after suffering a workplace injury on 2 January.

William Couto, of Acushnet, Massachusetts, was injured when his clothing became entangled in a running motor, according to the nonprofit Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH).

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opened an investigation the day of the accident. The inspection is ongoing, an OSHA spokesperson told South Coast Today.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Offshore Wind Giant and Fishing Group Agree to Partnership

January 18, 2019 — A new agreement has been announced between a group representing commercial fishermen and the world’s leading developer of offshore wind farms.

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and Orstead U.S. Offshore Wind are looking for ways to improve communcation with each other.

Alliance Director Annie Hawkins says the agreement provides a structure to help fishermen give direct input to Orsted.

“Having a structured partnership will create a much better opportunity for fishermen to be involved,” said Hawkins. “It’s a good faith agreement; it provides a forum for the concerns of fishermen to be heard.”

The agreement calls for the creation of a joint industry task force to explore issues like the siting and design of offshore wind facilities.

Hawkins says when it comes to the North Atlantic fisheries, Orsted is still learning. “They are certainly a developer with a lot of experience in offshore wind, but probably a little less experience in dealing with Federal fisheries in the U.S.”

Read the full story at WBSM

New partnership develops with goal of improving talks between offshore wind, fishing

January 18, 2019 — The pool of organizations aiming to generate a mutually beneficial relationship between offshore wind and the commercial fishing industry grew on Thursday.

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) announced a partnership with Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind that is meant to improve communications between the fishing industry and offshore wind developers.

While the agreement was described as a “first-of-its-kind” partnership in the press release, it’s not the first pact agreed upon with the hopes of improving communication.

Last November, the New Bedford Port Authority announced an agreement with all offshore wind developers operating in the Massachusetts/Rhode Island market to serve as the designated Fisheries Representative of the commercial fishing industry to each of the development companies.

Orsted said this agreement would not affect its partnership with the Port Authority. It said it views this most recent announcement as an addition to its relationship with New Bedford.

The agreement between RODA and Orsted is unique in that RODA extends its representations from Maine to North Carolina.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Government shutdown costing New Bedford fishing company more than $17,000 a week

January 16, 2019 — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is beginning to affect the most valuable fishing port in the country.

The partial shutdown reached day 25 on Tuesday, which means many offices within NOAA have been closed for more than three weeks.

“Our shell stock has dwindled because I have one boat in limbo and only one boat that’s fishing,” CEO and President of Nantucket Sound Seafood LLC Allen Rencurrel said. “So we’re definitely feeling the effect of the government shutdown.”

Without an open government, Rencurrel can’t get federal approval for leasing licenses or “tags.” It’s led Nantucket Sound Seafood to only have one vessel to harvest clams in federal waters and one in state waters.

The regulations in state waters are far more restrictive including less quota.

Without receiving approval for leasing, Rencurrel estimated losses exceeding $17,000 a week.

“And that’s the smallest boat in the fleet,” he said.

It’s just one example of the fallout the New Bedford fishing industry is feeling in dealing with the shutdown in Washington. While monitors and observers continue to police quotas, other aspects of the shutdown have crippled production on the waterfront.

“I think the industry would pay them to go in to work for a week. Just to get all the transfers done,” Rencurrel said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Families know first-hand the importance of vessel safety training

January 15, 2019 — Safety training within the fishing industry often includes examples of fallen fishermen. For three people attending Monday’s workshop, they experienced loss first hand. They endured the loss of a family member just 13 months ago aboard the fishing vessel Misty Blue.

“He’s always in my mind, to be honest with you,” Brandon Saraiva said. “I think more training like this should be required.”

Saraiva, a fishermen for at least 12 years, lost his brother, Jonathan Saraiva, 32, when the Misty Blue, a 69-foot surf clam harvester based in New Bedford, sank Dec. 4, 2017, about 10 miles southeast of Nantucket. Jonathan’s father, Phil, also attended the workshop.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Big Impact Likely if Massachusetts Can Vote to Legalize Lobster Processing

January 10, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The very first bill introduced in the Massachusetts Senate this year would modernize the states lobster processing rules and could result in a big expansion of lobster processing in New Bedford.

The bill, introduced by Gloucester based Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, and co-sponsored by other coastal legislators, would allow for the processing of raw frozen lobster parts in Massachusetts.

Under current law, possession of live, cooked, and canned or packaged lobster is allowed, but the possession of uncooked or frozen lobster parts is not.

The original premise was to prevent the illegal ripping of tails off undersized lobster by harvesters.

But the Mass. State Marine Fisheries has produced a report showing that in other states, such as Maine, the economic benefit of the change was huge, and there was no increase in illegal fishing of smaller lobsters or attempts to subvert lobster conservation.

Under existing laws, Massachusetts lobstermen and seafood vendors are required to sell or transport lobster out-of-state for processing and then bring them back for sale to consumers in the Bay State – often with a ‘Product of Canada’ label.

“Our state has the second-largest lobster catch in the country yet, without this bill, raw and frozen lobster parts are processed in Canada or Maine only to then be brought back to our local consumers,” said Senator Tarr. “This bill modernizes those lobster laws to bolster the fishing industry and give consumers, including local restaurants and food stores more choices all while sustainably supporting coastal fishing communities.”

“This report highlights that there is zero reason to further delay legislation to eliminate archaic restrictions on lobster processing. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to once again pass this bill so that businesses may finally expand and create jobs, especially in New Bedford,” said Sen. Mark Montigny, lead co-sponsor of the legislation.

Up to 80 percent 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 Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association greatly appreciates Sen. Tarr’s efforts over the last several years to modernize the lobster processing laws,” said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. “This bill will allow our lobstermen to be competitive on a regional and international basis and we will work to ensure the bill’s passage.”

“East Coast Seafood Group, the world’s largest processor of lobster and headquartered in Topsfield, is pleased with the tremendous progress made by Sen. Tarr and the plan’s supporters,” said Bob Blais, vice president of East Coast Seafood Group.

“The lobsters harvested off the shores of Massachusetts and respective fishermen are the lifeblood of the state’s industry and we support the great efforts taken to ensure the sustainability of the lobster stock. It is with great pride our company will support the surrounding community by expanding our New Bedford operation with the investment in lobster processing equipment and partner in the shared development of what is likely to be hundreds of jobs in the state of Massachusetts.”

While lobster processors in Canada struggle with a shortage of workers that has at times curtailed output, New Bedford has no such problem.  Instead, the port has an excellent immigrant labor force and labor shortages are not an issue for processor expansion there.

Furthermore, the city has all the infrastructure of a major fish processing center including cold storage, transportation, and unused plant capacity.

Once this bill passes, and the infrastructure is in place, there is no reason not to expect a significant portion of lobsters sent to Canada from Maine would instead be diverted to New Bedford for further processing.

Sales of frozen lobster and lobster parts, such as scored claws, appear to be growing faster than sales of live lobster in the US market.  Developing a robust lobster processing industry in Massachusetts would accelerate this trend.

This story was originally published by SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission. 

MASSACHUSETTS: Senate Lawmakers Propose Bill to Expand Lobster Processing

January 9, 2019 — The following was released by the Office of State Senator Bruce Tarr:

Without reform, the state’s lobster laws are confounding consumers and the multi-million dollar seafood industry say a bi-partisan coalition of state Senator.  Senate Docket 1, the first bill filed in the new Senate session, authored by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester) will, according to a just released report by the Division of Marine Fisheries, result in economic benefits throughout the state’s seafood supply chain and give consumers greater access to desirable fresh seafood products at local retailers and restaurants without harm to lobster stocks.

Under existing laws, Massachusetts lobstermen and seafood vendors are required to sell or transport lobster out-of-state for processing and then bring them back for sale to consumers in the Bay State – often with a ‘Product of Canada’ label.

“Our state has the second-largest lobster catch in the country yet, without this bill, raw and frozen lobster parts are processed in Canada or Maine only to then be brought back to our local consumers,” said Senator Tarr. “This bill modernizes those lobster laws to bolster the fishing industry and give consumers, including local restaurants and food stores more choices all while sustainably supporting coastal fishing communities.”

While the sale of live, cooked, and canned lobster is legal in the state, the new law is needed to expand the industry market with the inclusion of other lobster products.  Tarr notes that the Marine Fisheries study supports lifting limits on the processing, sale, and transportation of cooked and frozen in-shell lobster parts.

The December 31 study confirms that similar changes in other jurisdictions such as Maine and Canada have resulted in the development of new businesses and the creation of new jobs throughout the seafood processing and distribution industry.  In-state lobster landings account for about 11% of the US lobster harvest and 5% globally.

“This report highlights that there is zero reason to further delay legislation to eliminate archaic restrictions on lobster processing.  I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to once again pass this bill so that businesses may finally expand and create jobs, especially in New Bedford,” said Senator Montigny, lead co-sponsor of the legislation.

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 Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association greatly appreciates Senator Tarr’s efforts over the last several years to modernize the lobster processing laws,” said Beth Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association.  “This bill will allow our lobstermen to be competitive on a regional and international basis and we will work to ensure the bill’s passage.

The Marine Fisheries reports that the lobster market has continued to evolve to favor processed lobster parts.  In 2016, the state’s lobster fishery landed over 18 million pounds of lobster in 46 ports worth $82 million. Modernizing the law for certified sustainable product would allow Massachusetts seafood businesses to process and sell this highly desirable certified sustainable product to Massachusetts consumers.  Chain retailers, grocery stores, warehouse clubs and online distributors will be a major beneficiary of such a law change the report says.  Many of these retailers currently sell a variety of shell-on lobster parts at their non-Massachusetts locations throughout the United States.

“I am glad to join my colleagues in the Senate 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.”

“This bill works to ensure the sustainability and viability of the state’s lobster industry, which will benefit consumers and lobstermen in coastal communities statewide,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport).  “The lobster industry is a vital part of the Commonwealth’s economy and identity.  I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to support it.”

The lobster industry is a critical part of the Commonwealth’s economy and heritage.  A similar law in Maine has boosted that state’s economy, produced local outlets for product sales, and created jobs.  During the most recent ten years US landings have doubled from 80 million pounds to 159 million pounds annually.

Read the full release here