Fishermen frustrated over governor's sidestep

Gov. Deval Patrick's choice to write to the Secretary of Commerce rather than contact his friend, President Obama, on behalf of the economically hard-pressed fishing fleet is drawing a mix of frustration and anger together — along with fateful resignation that his options, as discussed in a public strategizing session here, are limited.

Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association, and Jackie Odell, executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, which invited the governor to Gloucester for a public meeting last Wednesday, expressed trust Thursday that Patrick would know the quickest path to relief from policies implemented by presidential appointees.

And Capt. Russell Sherman, whose description at the meeting of fellow fishermen driven to despair, drink, anti-depressants and divorce by the tightening screws of the Obama administration's fisheries policies, said he believed the governor is "sincere."

"There's a roadblock somewhere," said Sherman.

He recalled that, earlier this month, Congressman Barney Frank, a leading industry advocate, asked the White House to sack Jane Lubchenco, the administration's top fisheries administrator, but announced just 24 hours later that the White House had nixed the idea, asserting that policy changes could be made with her still at the helm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

On Wednesday, July 14, in a meeting with the industry and community leaders at Cruiseport, Patrick, who has a personal friendship with the president that predates the 2007-2008 Obama campaign, asserted his desire to use that relationship to help the fishermen and shoreside businesses.

Vito Giacalone, seafood coalition policy director, said he believed the intent of administration policy was to foster hyper consolidation of the fleet forcing a mass sellout to investors.

It is a shared fear that has fostered what Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown likes to call a "bi-partisan, bi-cameral, bi-coastal" political coalition of resistance to federal fisheries policies — aimed, a Luchenco has conceded, at forcing rapid consolidation of the fleet — creating fewer, better jobs on the water after a "sizable fraction" of the boats are forced out.

Patrick, an attorney, described his problem in legal counsel's terms:

He said he could call Obama and gain an audience and the president's undivided attention; but when the conversation ended, the president would assign an aide to get input from the officials in charge of fisheries policy. At that point, Patrick implied, he and the fishing interests he represented would be back where they started.

"How do we pierce through that?" the governor asked aloud, speaking as much to himself as to the group of 40 who had literally begged him to use his ties to the president to appeal for some relief.

The need, as Patrick was told and retold last week, was for an across-the-board loosening of catch limits to allow the fleet more fish in the general allocation. As the coalition wrote to Patrick two days later, some individual and group subsidies to the business cooperatives known as sectors now in use by most of the boats.

But by last Friday, after having pondered the problem, and read the coalition letter, Patrick announced a different and less dramatic course.

He announced he would send a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who is Lubchenco's immediate superior, asking for a loosening of the catch limits and the financial aid package outlined in the letter approved by the Seafood Coalition.

A cross section of fishermen who participated in the July 14 meeting with Patrick reacted with frustration Thursday.

"We already tried that avenue and that avenue failed," said Capt. Joe Orlando. "Writing to the secretary is a waste of time."

"That's no good, he promised to call the president," said Richard Burgess, who owns four boats. "I think he should come back and explain what happened to change his mind."

Orlando and Burgess are directors of "sectors," the fishing cooperatives formed on the Northeast Seafood Coalition platform and working under the new catch-share regulatory system.

Capt. Paul Theriault said he was also disappointed to learn of Patrick's change of strategy.

"He was either going to meet with the president or talk to him, that's what I understood," said Theriault. "I left that meeting on a very positive note."

Mayor Carolyn Kirk said the governor's approach left her uncertain, too.

"We in the city need to understand better the governor's White House strategy," said Kirk. "My feedback to (Patrick) was to emphasize national policies that support coastal communities that cascade down through not only our fishery but to the Gulf of Mexico as well.

Late Thursday, the governor's office released a statement to the Times and a copy of a letter to Patrick from Commerce Secretary Locke, answering the July 16 letter the governor sent off following his industry meeting.

"Gov. Patrick continues to raise his concerns about inadequate science, unduly restrictive catch limits, and a transition to catch shares that was inadequately prepared for and may require economic relief," said Robert Keough, spokesman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

"(The governor) has communicated his concerns to Secretary Locke, and appreciates the response from Secretary Locke he received," Keough continued. "However, the response from Secretary Locke did not satisfy those concerns.

"Gov. Patrick is committed to taking these issues up the federal line of authority, all the way to the White House," he added, "He has reached out to the White House and will continue to do so in a way that gets the plight of Massachusetts fishermen the attention it deserves."

Odell said she, too, remains confident in Patrick. "I don't think he's going around in circles," she said.

"Well, he's the governor," said Sanfilippo. "We presented our problem, and with his experience, his decision is the one he thought would work better.

"Remember," she admitted, "he said he was concerned if we went to President, he would go to fish people" and nothing would be accomplished.

Richard Gaines can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3464, or rgaines@gloucestertimes.com.

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