Saving Seafood

Massachusetts: ‘Cod is Dead’ uses New Bedford to highlight hurdles affecting fishermen

January 25, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — One of the first scenes in “Rotten: Cod is Dead” opens at night in the Port of New Bedford. Spotlights atop the fishing vessels light the area.

A few belong to Carlos Rafael, noted by their green color and “CR” logo.

A recording of Rafael from 2012 then plays. “I consider myself the biggest player right now on this industry…” he said. “I’m not going down. I’ll be the last one fallen, you can rest assured.”

The case of Rafael first attracted investigative reporters from the documentary to New Bedford in 2016. The episode “Cod is Dead” premiered Jan. 5 on Netflix.

Through two years of reporting, interviewing and filming, director David Mettler discovered more within the fishing industry than the man known as “The Codfather,” who now is serving a 46-month prison sentence.

“It’s so much more than just a way to pay the mortgage,” Mettler said. “There’s a very deeply felt connection to this way of life, and it’s very emotional and very powerful for a lot of people.”

The hour-long show looks beyond Rafael and focuses on catch shares within the New England fishery.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

‘Cod Is Dead’: New Netflix Series Details Challenges Facing U.S. Fishermen

January 5, 2018 (Saving Seafood) — The challenges facing American fishermen, ranging from declining quotas to disputed science to fleet consolidation, are highlighted in a new Netflix documentary series premiering today.

The new series, Rotten, “travels deep into the heart of the food supply chain to reveal unsavory truths and expose hidden forces that shape what we eat.” The series’ sixth and final episode, “Cod is Dead,” focuses on the domestic seafood industry, and the business and regulatory climate that has made it increasingly difficult for fishermen to make a living. Special focus is given to the ongoing fallout from the Carlos Rafael seafood fraud case and the continuing impact of the controversial catch share management system.

The episode interviews fishermen, scientists, environmentalists, and other stakeholders, with special emphasis placed on industry members in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The full list of interviewees is:

  • Steve Welch – Commercial Fishing Captain
  • Richard Canastra – Co-Owner, The Whaling City Seafood Display Auction
  • Peter Baker – Director, U.S. Ocean Conservation-Northeast, The Pew Charitable Trust
  • Ian Saunders – New Bedford Dock Worker
  • Dr. Jonathan Hare – Science and Research Director, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
  • Seth Macinko – Professor of Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island
  • Aaron Williams – Commercial Fishing Captain
  • Scott Lang – Former Mayor of New Bedford/Lawyer
  • Jake Kritzer – Director of Fishery Diagnostics and Design, Environmental Defense Fund
  • Tor Bendikson – Vice President, Reidar’s Trawl Gear & Marine Supply
  • Arthur Bogason – Chairmen, Icelandic National Association of Small Boat Owners
  • Ragnar Arnason – Professor of Economics, University of Iceland
  • Charles Smith – U.S. Coast Guard
  • Tom Williams – Commercial Fishing Vessel Owner

Rotten is available now on Netflix