May 12, 2010: Uproar over federal fishing restrictions

>> TONIGHT ON "GREATER

BOSTON".

 

>> WILL BE SITTING HERE PARKED

AT THE WHARF AND IT WILL BE

COSTING ME MONEY.

 

>> BAY STATE FISHERMEN FURIOUS

OVER NEW REGULATIONS THEY

CLAIM WILL SINK THEM.

PLUS THE SHIFT OF POWER IN

GREAT BRITAIN AND WHAT IT

MEANS FOR THE UNITED STATES.

AND LAST CALL, DAN OKRENT'S

NEW BOOK ON PROHIBITION.

 

Closed Captioning

brought to you by AFLAC:

Ask about it at work.

 

GOOD EVENING.

THANKS TO RESTRICTIONS ON

COMMERCIAL FISHING, STOCKS OF

COD AND OTHER GROUND FISH IN

THE WATERS OFF NEW ENGLAND

HAVE MADE A REMARKABLE

COMEBACK.

THIS MONTH U.S. FISHERIES

OFFICIALS IMPLEMENTED MORE NEW

RULES, THEY SAY IT WILL

FINALLY BRING LOCAL FISHING

GROUNDS BACK TO FULL SUSTAIN

ABILITY.

BUT RESIDENTS OF FISHING

COMMUNITIES LIKE GLOUCESTER

AND NEW BEDFORD SAY THE NEW

RESTRICTIONS ARE SO COSTLY AND

CONFUSING THAT SMALL FISHERMEN

SOON COULD BE ON THE

ENDANGERED SPECIES THEMSELVES.

PHIL POWELL IS HAPPY WITH THE

HAUL OF COD AND SKATE HE'S

BROUGHT BACK TO GLOUCESTER,

BUT HE'S NOT SO PLEASED WITH

NEW FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON

NEW ENGLAND FISHERMEN.

 

>> THE QUOTA SYSTEM THAT'S IN

PLACE RIGHT NOW WITH THE QUOTA

THEY GIVE MY BOAT, MY SEASON

WILL BE OVER IN ABOUT TWO

MONTHS.

 

>> FEDERAL REGULATORS HAVE PUT

STRICT LIMITS ON HOW MUCH

LOCAL SPECIES FISHERMEN CAN

CATCH.

BUT POWELL SAYS NEW LOWER

CATCH LIMITS AND COMPLEX

MONITORING REQUIREMENTS ARE

MAKING IT HARD FOR SMALL

FISHERMEN TO STAY IN BUSINESS.

 

>> THEY RUSH THESE NEW

REGULATIONS IN TOO QUICK,

WE'VE HAD NEW COMPUTER SYSTEMS

INSTALLED IN THE BOAT.

MY COMPUTER SYSTEM CRASHED FOR

EIGHT DAYS IN A ROW.

RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT EVEN

WORKING.

 

>> IN AN EFFORT TO BLOCK THE

NEW REGULATIONS, THE CITIES OF

GLOUCESTER AND NEW BEDFORD

HAVE FILED SUIT SAYING THEIR

COMMUNITIES DEPEND ON SMALL

FISHERMEN AND SUPPORT

BUSINESSES LIKE CAPE POND ICE.

 

>> 74% OF OUR TONAGE, OUR ICE

SALES LAST YEAR WAS TOTALLY

FISHING RELATED, THAT'S ICE

PUT ON FISHING BOATS.

I SOLD TO FISH PROCESSORS,

RIGHT NOW WE'RE ANTICIPATING

LOSING MOST OF THAT TONAGE.

 

>> Reporter: GLOSSER IN MAYOR

KIRK SAYS CENTURIES OF

TRADITION ARE AT STAKE.

 

>> QULOSER THE HAS BEEN

FISHING FOR OVER 400 YEARS.

AND WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, THIS

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

MANAGEMENT SCHEME COULD BE THE

END OF THE LINE OF THE GLOSER

FISHERMAN.

 

>> THE ATTORNEY WHO FILED THE

LAWSUIT SAYS FISHER MEN WHO

HELPED FISH LIKE COD AND

HADDOCK MAKE COMEBACKS ARE NOW

BEING FORCED OUT OF BUSINESS.

 

>> GROUND FISH STOCKS UNDER

BEST SHAPE THEY'VE BEEN IN ALL

OF OUR LIFE TIMES, YET OUR

EMPLOYMENT IS LOWER.

AND THE PROSPECT, THE BLEAKEST

THEY'VE EVER BEEN.

 

>> BUT AN ANALYST FOR THE

NATIONAL MARINE FISHERY

SERVICE SAYS NEW ENGLAND'S

FISHING GROUNDS ARE STILL

SEVERAL YEARS AWAY FROM BEING

FULLY RESTOCKED.

 

>> TO THEIR CREDIT THEY'VE

WORKED HARD, THEY'LL FOLLOWED

THE RULES UNDER THE SYSTEM FOR

YEARS.

IN SOME STOCKS WE'RE ALREADY

SEEING THAT, BUT NOT IN ALL.

SO THERE'S A GOAL OUT THERE,

IT'S TAKING TIME TO GET THERE.

 

>> ONCE THE FISHERY IS REBUILT

TO WHERE IT CAN SUSTAIN BOTH

FISH AND FISHERMEN FOR THE

LONG TERM, HE SAYS CATCHES AND

PROFITS WILL INCREASE.

 

>> AN ESTIMATE OVERALL IS THAT

WHEN ALL THE STOCKS ARE

REBUILT WE'RE LOOKING AT

PROBABLY THREE TIMES THE

LANDINGS WOULD BE AVAILABLE

THAT WE'RE GETTING NOW.

 

>> UNTIL THEN, SMALL FISHERMEN

LIKE PHIL WILL TRY TO HANG ON.

 

>> I FISHED FOR 26 YEARS, AND

THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT

I'M GOING TO BE TIED UP FOR

MONTHS WITHOUT WORK.

 

>> TIED UP BY REGULATIONS THAT

ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING

THINGS BETTER.

JOINING ME NOW IS PATRICIA

KURKUL, THE NORTHEAST HEAD OF

THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERY

SERVICE.

NEW BEDFORD MAYOR SCOTT LANG,

AND RICHARD BURGESS, A

COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN FROM

GLOUCESTER.

WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.

 

>> THANK YOU.

 

>> YOU HEARD THE CRITICS,

THEY'RE SAYING THIS REALLY

FAVORS THE BIG FISHERMEN,

BECAUSE OF THE FLEETS, THE

BIGGER BOATS, AND IT LIMITS

PEOPLE LIKE WE JUST SAW

TALKING ABOUT THIS THAT HE

SAYS HE'S GOING TO BE OUT OF

BUSINESS IN TWO MONTHS, OR

HE'LL HAVE TO STOP FISHING.

CONE THE REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN

WRITTEN IN A WAY TO HELP THE

SMALLER FISHERMAN?

 

>> WELL, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE

TO HELP BOTH THE SMALL AND THE

LARGE FISHERMEN.

THE NEW REGULATIONS, WHEN THEY

SHOULD DO IS PROVIDE A LOT

MORE FLEXIBILITY TO EVERYBODY

INVOLVED.

WE DO HAVE A SITUATION WHERE

WE'VE GOT, WE MADE A LOT OF

PROGRESS IN STOCKS, WE'VE MADE

A LOT OF PROGRESS REBUILDING

STOCKS.

IT'S NOT INCONCEIVABLE THAT WE

COULD HAVE HAD OVERFISHING ON

SOME OF THESE STOCKS FOR OVER

100 YEARS NOW, SO WE'RE

DIGGING OUT OF A PRETTY DEEP

HOLE.

 

>> BUT HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN

HE SAYS I'M GOING TO HAVE TO

STOP FISHING?

IS HE EXAGGERATING?

 

>> I THINK EVERYBODY IS

UNDERSTANDABLY APPREHENSIVE

ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE IT A HUGE

CHANGE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.

IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY

EVERYBODY DOES BUSINESS.

THE FISHING INDUSTRY,

EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THE

FISHING INDUSTRY, THE

GOVERNMENT.

BUT THE PROGRAM DOES PROVIDE A

LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY.

WE DO HAVE REDUCTIONS IN CATCH

LEVELS, AND THAT'S AS A RESULT

OF THE, OF HAVING STILL 12

STOCKS WHERE WE HAVE

OVERFISHING ON THOSE STOCKS

OUT OF THE 20 THAT WE'RE

MANAGING IN THIS FISHERY.

AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS, YES,

WE'VE REDUCED CATCH LEVELS TO

TRY TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE

HAVE SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES.

BUT WE'VE DONE IT AT THE SAME

TIME THAT WE'VE PUT IN THIS

NEW PROGRAM CALLED SECTOR

MANAGEMENT OR COOPERATIVE TYPE

MANAGEMENT.

 

>> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO NEW

BEDFORD?

14 MEMBERS OF OUR

CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MET

WITH GARY LOCK TODAY, THE

SECRETARY OF WILD WIFE IN

WASHINGTON TODAY ABOUT

STOPPING THESE FROM GOING

AHEAD.

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO NEW

BEDFORD?

 

>> HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH IT.

I THINK, SKIED FOR A TEMPORARY

DELAY ON THE MAY 1st DATE TO

IMPLEMENT CATCH SHARES IN THE

SECTOR PROGRAM.

BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THE

GOVERNMENT WAS READY.

AND I'M TO MAYOR OF A CITY, I

AM PART OF GOVERNMENT, I

DIDN'T THINK THAT OUR FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT WAS READY FOR THIS

FISHERIES.

WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR

INDUSTRY IN NEW BEDFORD, 4,000

PEOPLE DEPEND ON THIS.

FISHING INDUSTRY.

IN GLOUCESTER IT ONE OF THE

KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS.

THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND, EVERY

SINGLE FOR THAT WE HAVE TALKED

TO INDICATES THAT WE'RE GOING

TO SEE DRAMATIC DECLINES IN

THE NUMBER OF VESSELS, THE

NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO ARE

SUPPORTED BY FISHING.

AND WE DON'T THINK THERE'S

REALLY A NEED FOR IT.

WE THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE,

IT OVERLY RESTRICTIVE.

WE HAVEN'T SPENT THE TIME TO

EXPLAIN TO THE INDUSTRY

EXACTLY HOW IT WILL WORK.

THERE'S NEW SCIENCE COMING

DOWN THE LINE VERY QUICKLY

THAT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER

OF ALLOCATIONS FOR FISH THAT

CAN BE CAUGHT IN CERTAIN

SPECIES, THE LOWEST SPECIES

WHICH ARE CALLED RIGHT NOW

CHOKE SPECIES, SO YOUR POLLOCK,

YOUR WINTER FLOWNER, SKATE

THEY JUST RAISED SLIGHTLY,

MAINE COD, DIFFERENT SPECIES

THAT WE KNOW THERE'S MORE FISH

OUT THERE THAN THE GOVERNMENT

IS PORTRAYING.

AND SOON THE GOVERNMENT WILL

ROLL THESE NEW NUMBERS OUT.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME IT SEEMED

TO US, RATHER THAN GETTING

INVOLVED IN A SYSTEM THAT

EVERYONE IS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT,

LET'S DO IT RIGHT.

BARNEY FRANK TODAY TOLD

SECRETARY LOCK, THIS CATCH

SHARE SYSTEM IS SOMETHING THAT

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD

LIKE TO SEE AS A MODEL AROUND

THE COUNTRY.

IF IT FAILS IN NEW ENGLAND IN

A MULTI SPECIES SETTING, IT'S

GOING TO FAIL EVERYWHERE.

SO I THINK THEY RUSHED THE GUN

ON IT, I THINK THEY SHOULD

HAVE HELD BACK.

AND UNTIL THEY GET THE NEW

ALLOCATIONS IN THIS IS NOT

GOING TO WORK.

IN NEW BEDFORD THEY'RE SAYING

60% OF THE FLEET WILL BE DONE

FISHING BY MID JULY TO THE

BEGINNING OF AUGUST.

THAT'S GOING TO BE A HECK OF A

NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUT ON

UNEMPLOYMENT.

WITH THIS RECESSION THIS IS A

PROBLEM.

 

>> RICH, WE'VE HEARD FROM

FISHERMEN IN THE PAST, AND

FRANKLY THEY OFTEN TAKE A SKY

IS FALLING APPROACH.

IS IT REALLY GOING TO BE THAT

DIRE FOR A GUY LIKE YOU?

 

>> WELL, I'M SECTOR, I'M A

LEADER OF SECTOR NUMBER THREE

IN GLOUCESTER, WE HAVE 41

WORKING BOATS.

AND GOING INTO THE SECTOR

MANAGEMENT, THERE'S NOT ONE

BOAT IN MY SECTOR THAT HAS

ENOUGH FISH TO LAST THROUGH

THE YEAR, IF NOT JUST THREE

MONTHS.

SO WE FEEL AS THOUGH THAT OUR

SECTOR WILL BE TOTALLY

COLLAPSED BY SEPTEMBER.

 

>> UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR?

 

>> I DON'T THINK WE'LL MAKE TO

IT THE EBB OF THE YEAR.

 

>> I MEAN IN THREE MOMENT AND

THEN YOU CAN'T FISH AT ALL?

 

>> RIGHT.

WE'LL BE TIED TO THE DOCK WITH

NO INCOME.

 

>> THIS ISN'T APPREHENSION,

THIS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT.

THIS IS THEIR LIVELIHOOD.

IT MEANS THEY'VE GOT TO STOP

WORKING WHICH MEANS THERE'S NO

INCOME COME SEPTEMBER.

 

>> WELL, WE DID DO THE

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, AND I WOULD

DISAGREE THAT WE'VE RUSHED

THIS.

IN FACT THIS WAS DELAYED FOR

ONE YEAR AND WE WERE THREE

YEARS IN DEVELOPMENT.

WE THINK IT'S READY, BUT

CHANGE IS HARD.

AND SO WE DID DO THE ECONOMIC

ANALYSIS ON THIS, WE LOOKED AT

WHAT THE IMPACTS WOULD BE ON

PEOPLE.

 

>> DID YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THAT

WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?

 

>> WE WEEK THAT PEOPLE HAVE

THE OPTION UNDER SECTORS OF

WHEN THEY FISH THEIR

ALLOCATION.

AND SO THERE'S THE FLEXIBILITY

THERE TO FISH IT NOW, FISH IT

AT THE END OF THE YEAR, FISH

IT BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.

THAT'S A DECISION THAT WE NOW

LEAVE UP TO THE SECTORS.

 

>> LET ME ASK THE MAYOR, SOME

PEOPLE WOULD SAY THIS IS LIKE

THE SMALLEST PHARMACYS THAT

HAVE ALL GONE OUT OF BUSINESS,

AND THE BIG ONES HAVE COME IN.

IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

AND MAYBE EASIER TO CONTROL IF

IT'S JUST THE BIG FLEET ARE

OUT THERE, NOT MONITORING AWE

THESE SMALL FISHERMEN ALL THE

TIME.

 

>> IF THAT'S GOVERNMENT'S GAME

PLAN, THEN LET'S DO A BUYOUT

WHERE THEY DON'T REISSUE THE

LICENSES OR LET'S COME UP WITH

PRICE SUBSIDIES, SOMETHING

LIKE THAT.

BUT IF THEY'RE REALLY IN A

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THEY'RE

SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE

INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE

INDUSTRY AS WELL.

AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT,

AND I DON'T WANT TO BE

DISRESPECTFUL, BUT I DO THINK

THAT THEY RUSHED THIS.

I KNOW IN THE PORTS OF NEW

BEDFORD AND IN GLOUCESTER

AROUND NEW ENGLAND PEOPLE

DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEIR

ALLOCATIONS, THE SOFTWARE

WASN'T READY, THE MONITORING

SYSTEM IS NOT READY.

AND IT IS GOING TO CLAMS AN

INDUSTRY THAT PROVIDES

LITERALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF

JOBS FROM VIRGINIA UP TO

MAINE.

AND IT'S SOMETHING DURING THIS

RECESSION IS COMPLETELY

NEEDLESS.

THEY CAN'T TELL YOU HOW THESE

RULES PROTECT THE FISH.

WHAT I'VE SAID ALL ALONG, WE

CAN TELL YOU HOW THEY DO

AFFECT THE PEOPLE.

AND PART OF MAG ANY SON

STEVENS IS THIS BALANCE,

THERE'S SUSTAIN ABILITY OF THE

INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE WORKING

WATER FRONTS.

GLOUCESTER'S WORKING WATER

FRONT IS DISAPPEARING.

NEW BEDFORD'S IS STILL HEALTHY,

BUT IF IT TAKES A 60% CUT, NEW

BEDFORD'S WORKING WATER FRONT

WILL BE GONE VERY VERY

SHORTLY.

AND I THINK, HERE'S WHAT I

WOULD DO. I WOULD EMPOWER THE

INDUSTRY AND THE SCIENTISTS

WHO WORK ON THIS, A LONG WITH

THE GOVERNMENT, TO COME UP

WITH A FISHERIES PLAN THAT

PROTECTS THE SPECIES.

I THINK FISHERMEN ARE THE

NUMBER ONE CONSERVATIONISTS ON

THE WATER, AND PROTECTS THE

PEOPLE IN THIS INDUSTRY.

I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT HARD.

BUT THERE'S BEEN SUCH

INFLEXIBILITY AND RELUCTANCE

BY NOAA AND THE FISHERIES

SERVICE TO LOOK AT THIS IN A

DIFFERENT WAY, THAT IT REALLY

IS COMING TO A LOGGER HEAD

HERE.

 

>> LET ME BRING RICHARD BACK

IN.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE WELL

INFORMED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN

TERMS OF HOW THE SYSTEM WOULD

WORK, HOW THE MONITORING WORKS,

HOW THE REGULATION WORKS?

I REALIZE THERE'S 19 DIFFERENT

SPECIES AND EACH ONE IS A

DIFFERENT QUOTA SYSTEM.

IS IT ALL THERE FOR YOU TO

READ OVER AND ABSORB IF YOU

WANT TO?

 

>> NO.

EVERYBODY IS CONFUSED.

THERE'S NOT ONE FISHERMAN THAT

I KNOW OF --

 

>> WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?

 

>> FISHERY SERVICE.

 

>> BECAUSE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE

DATA?

 

>> MY MAILBOX IS FILLED WITH

MAIL EVERY DAY, EVERY SINGLE

DAY.

PAPERS, DOCUMENTS, I WOULD

HAVE TO HAVE A LAWYER TO READ

EVERYTHING THROUGH TO TELL ME

HOW KID AND CAN'T FISH.

THIS SECTOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

BEFORE THE SECTOR MANAGEMENT

STARTED MAY 1RKS WE HAD DAYS

AT SEA, EVERYBODY COULD GO

FISHING FOR THE DAY, CATCH

YOUR 800 POUNDS OF COD FISH,

UNLOAD, GO HOME.

THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS

UNDER DAYS AT SEA, EACH SMALL

VESSEL HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO

CATCH 800 POUNDS A DAY.

WE CAN MAKE BETWEEN 150 AND

180 TRIPS A YEAR.

THAT CALCULATES TO BE AROUND

10 TO 150,000 POUNDS OF JUST

COD FISH ALONE.

GO INTO THE SECTOR MANAGEMENT,

WITH THE ALLOCATION WE GOT FOR

A HISTORY, AND OUR HISTORY WAS

BASED ON YEARS THAT SOME YEARS

WE COULD ONLY CATCH 30 POUNDS

OF COD FISH A YEAR, SO WE WENT

TO ALTERNATIVE FISHERIES.

FROM 1996 TO 2006 OUR WORST

YEARS DURING THE REBUILDING,

THAT'S WHAT OUR HISTORY WAS

BASED AND NOW THERE ARE BOATS

WITH ANYWHERES FROM MY BIGGEST

BOAT'S GOT 7,000 POUND OF COD

FISH FOR THE YEAR.

LAST SATURDAY HE WENT OUT AND

THE CAPTAIN GOT 6500 POUNDS.

THE BOAT IS FINISHED FOR THE

YEAR.

SO THE AVERAGE BODY HAS GOT

AROUND 20, 25,000 POUNDS FOR

THE YEAR, WHEN THEY WERE

CATCHING BETWEEN 120 AND

180,000.

 

>> DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO

THAT?

 

>> YES. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE

ANY WAY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING

TO SEE THE DIND OF REDUCTIONS

THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED

ABOUT, IN FACT WE'RE EXPECTING

TO SEE INCREASES IN REVENUE

BECAUSE THE INCREASE, WE'VE

WORKED WITH THE INDUSTRY,

THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF

MEETINGS WITH THE INDUSTRY OF

PEOPLE IN THE PORTS OF

OUTREACH TO TRY TO EXPLAIN

THIS NEW SYSTEM.

THIS IS NOT A NEW TYPE OF

SYSTEM.

THIS IS A SYSTEM WE'VE HAD AT

LEAST IN ONE FORM OR, WE'VE

HAD ONE SECTOR THAT STARTED IN

2004 AND ANOTHER IN 2006,

THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

THE FISHERMEN IN THOSE SECTORS,

WHICH ARE SMALL BOATS, ARE

VERY HAPPY WITH IT.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S

ACTUALLY BEEN TRIED IN OTHER

PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, OTHER

PARTS OF THE WORLD.

AND HAS WORKED VERY WELL IN

REDUCING DISCARDS, REDUCING

COSTS AND INCREASING REVENUES.

 

>> ALL RIGHT.

WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

 

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

 

>> WHEN WE CONTINUE, BRITAIN'S

POWER CHANGE AND IT'S PAYMENT

OCTOBER THAN AMERICA.

IT'S IMPACT ON AMERICA.