February 5, 2019 — The Coast Guard is investigating what caused a 45-foot fishing vessel to sink early Sunday morning by steamship pier.
The Coast Guard received a call from the owner of the fishing vessel Moonraker at 8:17 a.m., according to the agency. The owner discovered the vessel was submerged about a half hour earlier.
The Coast Guard said there was 100 gallons of fuel within the vessel and 50 escaped into the harbor.
February 1, 2019 — The world is smitten with scallops. Their subtle sweetness and firm but somehow delicate bite has many wanting more. When I previously worked in seafood sales, I couldn’t believe how much chefs in Los Angeles would pay to put the great New Bedford sea scallop on their menus. We’re talking over $35 per pound for the big ones. I’d think to myself, “These chefs know there are scallops in the Pacific, right?”
They did know, of course, but Pacific scallops lack one thing that consumers have grown to demand – heft. The Atlantic sea scallop is the largest commercially fished scallop species, with meat weights of up to 70 grams. This means restaurants can put four on a plate and sell their dish for $30 or more, and still make a profit.
For the most part, scallopers are thriving. Scallops caught in the U.S. each year are worth more than $430 million – making them one of the most valuable seafoods in the nation. But recently, there has been a major setback.
During the longest government shutdown in American history, fishermen and businesses in the seafood industry struggled to stay afloat. Until the partial closure ended on January 25, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency in charge of regulating fishermen’s operations, was closed, with only “essential” personnel working. This caused cascading effects all the way down the seafood supply chain, from processors to distributors to restaurants. Without the full NMFS workforce available, scientific data collection was put on hold, which restricted the ability of fisheries managers and federal workers to do their jobs.
January 31, 2019 — Atlantic Capes Fisheries and BJ’s Service Company, Inc. have agreed to pay a total of USD 675,000 (EUR 587,600) in a settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission related to four women who said they were sexually harassed in the workplace.
The lawsuit, which was settled on 30 January, stems from allegations by the EEOC that sexual harassment was perpetrated by managers, line supervisors, and co-workers of IQF Custom Packing Inc. in Fall River, Massachusetts. The allegations include unwanted touching, solicitations for sex, and crude comments, according to the EEOC, which constitute violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The settlement will be paid out between Atlantic Capes and BJ’s – a staffing agency located in New Bedford, Massachussets. The terms include Atlantic Capes paying USD 130,000 (EUR 113,000) to three women, and USD 75,000 (EUR 65,200) to one woman. According to Atlantic Capes, three of the women have decided to remain employed with the company, while the workers who harassed the women are no longer employed at either company.
According to Atlantic Capes, the lawsuit stems from claims that “largely predate” the company’s acquisition of the Fall River packing facility in 2013.
January 28, 2019 — Many things fell into place Friday that led to the government reopening, including the words of a New Bedford scalloper in the nation’s capital.
Capt. Jack Morris, director of operations for FV Holdings LLC, spoke on a panel conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the shutdown prevented one of his vessels from fishing.
“We’re bleeding,” Morris said. “We need to go fishing.”
Hours later, President Donald Trump announced a deal had been struck to reopen the government through Feb. 15.
The shutdown didn’t allow Morris to transfer a license from an out-of-service vessel to a new one.
“It’s a simple application that’s done all the time, and it’s sitting on the desk of the permit office in Gloucester,” Morris said. “There’s nobody at that desk. It’s empty.”
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.
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.
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.
January 22, 2019 — In this episode of the Sourcing Matters podcast, former NOAA Regional Administrator of the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and former Mayor of New Bedford, John Bullard discusses the impacts of the federal shutdown on marine management and coastal communities.
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.”
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.