September 20, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A study by an SMAST professor shows that claims alleging Carlos Rafael’s actions created hysteria in the New England Fishery are exaggerated. The study by Dr. Brian Rothschild was filed in federal court on Monday, a week before Rafael is scheduled to be sentenced for falsifying fish quotas.
Rothschild said he doesn’t condone anything Rafael did, but in his study argues the data associated with the fishing tycoon’s criminal actions reveal a minimal effect on stock assessments.
In 54 pages entitled “The effect of under-reported catch (URC) on the New England Fishery and stock dynamics,” Rothschild used data agreed upon by the Department of Justice and Rafael’s attorneys, who funded the study.
“The thing that stood out the most was in terms of the big picture the amount of fish that both parties agreed to was relatively small,” Rothschild told the Standard-Times. “I put no value judgement on that. That’s for others to do.”
In the study, Rothschild stated, “The URCs were so small relative to common-sense benchmarks, that they could hardly be noticed in either the abundance of fish in the ocean or in stock assessments.”
Among the dozens who’ve spoken out since Rafael pleaded guilty in March, including Gov. Charlie Baker, Mayor Jon Mitchell, the Maine Congressional delegation and other organizations, Rothschild is the first to present data minimizing the effects of Rafael.
“I think that it’s a very contentious issue. When you look at the data, it comes out different than what most people perceive,” Rothschild said. “At the end of the day, it’s the science that really counts.”