Saving Seafood

After a record run of squid, local fishermen warily eye competition, regulatory challenges

March 24, 2017 — It was the best single run of longfin squid anyone on the East Coast had ever seen – and it happened fast and was over fast. In two months last summer, June and July, the East Coast-based squid fleet landed approximately 14 million pounds, with Rhode Island landing more than 50 percent of that quota, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration landing reports.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. The squid just kept coming,” said Point Judith fisherman Jeff Wise of Narragansett. “I’ve never seen volume and catch rates that high before.”

For those two summer months, the fishing port of Point Judith, or Galilee, was the squid capital of the world, the hub of squid commerce. Shore-side activity went nonstop as processors and others tried to keep pace with the volume of squid the fishing vessels carried in from the sea. Approximately 118 vessels, according to state landing reports, from as far south as Wanchese, N.C., used Rhode Island ports to offload their catch.

Although June and July are traditionally peak squid months, with average summer landings (May through August) fluctuating between 3 million and 19 million pounds, it was the high catch rates for those two months that was unprecedented last summer, which for the season saw 18.7 million pounds of landings.

“Though we’ve been seeing an upward trend in [longfin] squid since 2010, [last year was] one of the strongest we’ve seen since the 1990s,” said Jason Didden, squid-management-plan coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the agency, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service, responsible for squid policy.

Local fishermen, many of whom depend heavily on squid, enjoyed the bounty but are warily focused on regulatory issues they fear could bring the good times to a premature end.

Landings the past 30 years have shown peaks and valleys, as levels of squid abundance have changed – but there has been no need for quota cuts.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council often works with advisory panels to identify problems within fisheries and to come up with solutions to those problems. It’s a long road, complex and full of red tape, to go from an identified fishery problem to an actual change in the policy. These advisory panels are composed of industry members, recreational anglers, environmentalists and academics.

Three policy issues surfaced in recent months that could affect Rhode Island squid vessels and processors. One concerns managing the number of squid permits allowed, an issue perennially raised by the commercial fishing industry. The other two concern the possible loss of fishing ground – one by proposed wind farms off Long Island, and the other from lobbying pressure for a buffer zone in a key squid area south of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

The buffer-zone issue was raised by a group of recreational fishermen from Nantucket.

“It’s hard to be optimistic right now,” said Wise. “It never seems to stop – we are constantly worried about losing fishing ground [due to] buffer zones, marine sanctuaries and wind farms.”

Read the full story at the Providence Business News

Proposed regulations irk lobstermen

March 23, 2017 — Bay State lobstermen fear that a new proposal — meant to save lobsters in warming southern New England waters — could hurt business by barring them from harvesting in prime summer months and putting tighter restrictions on the size of their catch.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will present a plan in New Bedford tonight on ways to maintain or increase the number of lobsters in waters from southern Massachusetts to Delaware.

“Over the last 15 years we’ve seen a decline in lobster abundance, and we think that’s by and large a response to warming ocean temperatures,” said Dan McKiernan, deputy director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

“That’s the challenge that we have — it’s trying to preserve lobster but doing it in a way that the industry can survive,” he added.

Yet Massachusetts lobstermen argue that their pots are full and don’t see what the fuss is all about.

“Southern New England as a whole is not doing very well, but where we are, it’s doing pretty well,” said lobsterman Jarrett Drake, who has lobstered out of New Bedford for more than 30 years.

The plan ropes in Massachusetts waters south of Cape Cod in with states like Rhode Island and as far away as New Jersey, where lobster populations are extremely low. It considers banning lobstering from July to September — peak tourist months for restaurants — as well as new restrictions on the size of lobsters fishermen can keep, and how long their traps can stay in the water.

Read the full story at the Boston Herald

CONNECTICUT: Hearings Planned to Discuss Saving Southern New England Lobsters

February 17, 2017 — Interstate fishing managers have scheduled two of seven hearings on a plan to try to save southern New England lobsters in Connecticut.

Lobster fishing in places like Connecticut and Rhode Island dates back centuries, but the stock has dwindled as water temperature has warmed. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is working on a plan to slow decline.

The commission’s plan includes strategies such as changing the legal harvesting size limit for lobsters, reducing the number of traps allowed in the water and enforcing new seasonal closures.

Read the full story at NBC Connecticut 

Skates: RESCHEDULED – Narragansett, RI scoping hearing

February 7, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Due to inclement weather, the New England Fishery Management Council has RESCHEDULED its Narragansett, RI scoping hearing on Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan.  The new hearing date is Monday, Feb. 27. 

The hearing initially was planned to take place this Thursday, Feb. 9.  However, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island with potential snow accumulations of 8” to 12”.  Given the forecast, the Council determined it was best to prevent unnecessary travel. 

The Feb. 27 hearing will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography in the Coastal Institute Building’s Hazard Room.

Copies of the revised hearing notice, scoping document, and other Amendment 5 materials are available at skates.

‘If it’s caught in Rhode Island … eat it’

January 27, 2017 — KINGSTON, R.I. — In a packed auditorium at University of Rhode Island on Jan. 17, foodies of every variety converged at the Rhode Island Food System Summit to talk about food production, distribution, economic policies and more.

The 350-person gathering was part of Gov. Gina Raimondo’s development of the state’s first comprehensive food strategy to support the local food economy. The strategy is a five-year action plan that will leverage key components of Rhode Island’s food system: agriculture and fisheries, economic development, and health and access.

As part of the governor’s plan, Sue AnderBois was hired as the state’s first director of food strategy in June 2016. Her job responsibilities include creating policy for every aspect of the state’s food system — from farm to market to table. Her position will be funded for two years by grants from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, the John Merck Fund and Main Street Resources.

The plan’s goals also include alleviating food insecurity and hunger among state residents, making food production more accessible, creating and growing markets for Rhode Island food products, prioritizing environmental and economic sustainability and creating a positive economic climate for food-related businesses.

Read the full story at the Westerly Sun

Sen. Whitehouse Mentions RI Fishermen During Pruitt Hearings

January 19, 2017 — WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse quizzed President-elect Trump’s nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency about his support for Rhode Island fishermen.

During Senate hearins today, Whitehouse asked Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt if “he would support the fishing and aquaculture industries in the face of climate change, and whether he would protect Rhode Islanders from out-of-state polluters.”

“As we discussed when you and I met, the oceans off our Ocean State are warming due to fossil fuel-driven climate change,” said Whitehouse. “It is crashing our fisheries, like lobster and winter flounder, and making earning a living harder for our fishermen. I see nothing in your career to give those fishermen any confidence that you will care one bit for their well-being, and not just the well-being of the fossil fuel industry.”

Read the full story at Patch Narragansett

New rules for New England shrimp fishing might go to public

January 17, 2017 — The public might soon have a chance to comment on potential new fishing rules that could help bring New England’s shrimp back into markets.

Northern shrimp were once a popular seafood, but the commercial fishing industry for them has been shut down since the stock collapsed in 2013.

Interstate regulators are working on new rules about how to manage the fishery if it does eventually reopen.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says options include state-by-state allocations and the mandatory use of certain kinds of gear to prevent harvest of young shrimp.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Portland Press Herald

RHODE ISLAND: Forum focuses on future of fishing industry

January 16, 2017 — More than 50 fishermen, educators and other community members attended the fifth workshop of Resilient Fisheries RI, dubbed “Fostering a New Generation of RI Fishermen,” at the Contemporary Theatre Company in Wakefield Monday.

Sarah Schumann, project coordinator for Resilient Fisheries RI, told the attendees that while the project began last year with a focus on environmental change and uncertainty, it grew to encompass other areas.

“Usually when people think about environmental change, they think about what the fish are doing … but it’s just as much about people, the fishermen,” she said.

Through roughly 50 interviews conducted in 2016, Schumann said she noticed a trend – the lack of young people in the fishing industry. She demonstrated this through a crowd participation exercise, which showed approximately half of the fishermen on hand were over 50, while only eight were under 40 and four were under 30.

In comments from fishermen, many spoke of the high cost of obtaining licenses and tough regulations, as well as generational gaps. One young lobsterman said the startup costs are often prohibitive for those beginning in the industry. Joe Raposa, a third-generation fisherman, instead asserted “a lot of the younger generation doesn’t know how to work or want to work.”

Josh Bird, who had worked in the corporate world for some time and came back to the fishing industry, spoke of the impact of technology on younger generations. He also said many students are not exposed to fishing and other similar career paths.

“I’ve got a 14-year-old son and it’s hard to have him outside, never mind being out on the water, he’s kind of glued to technology,” he said. “Schools, they don’t really encourage you to do that track. Even when I was in high school in the ’90s, the track was kind of like ‘Oh, well we don’t have any shop classes, we don’t have anything like that.’ It’s almost like a fear mongering thing, where if you don’t jump on board with that stuff now you’re going to get left behind.”

Another issue highlighted was Rhode Island’s licensing rules. John Kourtesis told the crowd he would be training his son to fish.

“If he wanted to buy a boat, he could go to Massachusetts, jump on it, and be the owner and the captain and start his own business,” Kourtesis said. “But in Rhode Island, you can go buy a boat and bring it back to Newport or Point Judith, and you can’t land anything because they license the person in this state, not the boat.

Read the full story at The Independent 

RHODE ISLAND: Workshop series prepares Rhode Island’s fishing industry to thrive in an era of uncertainty

January 5, 2016 — The following was released by the Resilient Fisheries RI project:

The Resilient Fisheries RI project is an effort to jump-start a learning and advocacy process among Rhode Island’s commercial fisheries to deal with adapting to environmental change and other uncertainties. The project will host four workshops in January for fishermen and shore-side seafood industry participants:

Fostering a new generation of RI fishermen

Mon, January 9, 2017

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST

The Contemporary Theater Company

327 Main Street, South Kingstown, RI 02879

A key ingredient in fishing industry resilience is the industry’s ability to replenish itself over time. But the average age of Rhode Island fishermen is going up, and access to licensing, training, and financing is more limited for today’s young fishermen than it was a generation ago. At this workshop, we’ll hear from several young fishermen in RI who have embraced fishing as a career: their personal experiences, barriers they’ve observed, and hopes and dreams for the future of the industry. Then we’ll listen to a panel of advocates from RI fisheries as well as other states and industries who are working to reduce barriers to young people: Dave Ghiglioti/Jeff Grant (RI Shellfishermen’s Association), Hannah Heimbuch (Alaska’s Next Generation of Fishermen project), and Tess Brown Lavoie (Young Farmer Network of Southeast New England and Land for Good). We’ll wrap up with a discussion of potential pathways for increasing participation and access for young people in commercial fisheries. Snacks will be served and a cash bar is available. Audience: fishermen, prospective fishermen, educators, policy makers, food system advocates. A complete agenda for the workshop can be found here.

Focus on Seaweed

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST

Rhode Island Natural History Survey

Bldg.14, URI East Farm, Rte. 108, South Kingstown

RI’s commercial fishermen have been noticing changes in the make-up and abundance of our local seaweed communities, with implications for fishing and fish stocks. These include periodic outbreaks of nuisance seaweed like Heterosiphonia japonica that clog fishing nets and decreases in estuarine populations of brown seaweeds like rockweed and kelp. At this workshop, fishermen will have a chance to exchange observations with seaweed reseracher Lindsay Green from the URI Department of Biology. We’ll talk about what research is available to shed light on these changes, and what sorts of monitoring could be done in the future to understand them better. Snacks will be served. Audience: commercial fishermen and shore-side businesses.

Measuring Fishing Industry Vulnerability and Resilience

Monday, January 23, 2017

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST

Bristol Maritime Center

127 Thames St. Bristol

The response of fishing communities to environmental change is conditioned on many social and economic factors. In this workshop, NOAA social scientist Lisa Colburn will present the results of a recent study to gauge the socio-economic vulnerability to climate change of Rhode Island and other East Coast fishing ports. Snacks will be served. Audience: commercial fishermen and shore-side businesses.

Focus on squid

Monday, January 30, 2017

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST

Above Superior Trawl

55 State St. Narragansett

Squid is one of Rhode Island’s most important fisheries. This workshop will be led by Owen Nichols from the Center for Coastal Studies, based in Provincetown. Owen’s research along with Chatham weir fishermen focuses on the responses of squid to temperature, oxygen, wind, and other factors. At this workshop, Owen will reveal what he and the fishermen are finding, and how it relates to the science and management of squid in a changing climate. Snacks will be served. Audience: commercial fishermen and shore-side businesses.

More information about the project can be obtained by e-mailing Sarah Schumann (project coordinator) at schumannsarah@gmail.com or at www.resilientfisheriesRI.org

Selling shark fins now banned in Rhode Island

January 3, 2017 — PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Selling shark fins is now banned in Rhode Island as it is in Massachusetts.

A law took effect Sunday that makes it a crime to own or sell a shark fin unless it’s used for scientific research or in preparing a shark for ordinary consumption.

Rhode Island became the 11th state to ban shark fin sales when Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo signed legislation into law in June. Hawaii was the first in 2010. Massachusetts banned the sales in 2014.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted in August to approve a new rule that allows fishermen to bring smooth dogfish, a type of shark, to land with fins removed, as long as their total retained catch is at least 25 percent smooth dogfish.

The rule change better incorporates the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 into management of the dogfish, staff with the fisheries commission said. Dogfish are harvested from Rhode Island to North Carolina, and are among the many shark species that fishermen bring to land in states from Maine to Texas.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times