Gloucester's elected local and state officials Tuesday advised the state's congressional delegation that the fishing industry based here was imperiled by federal policies and the rush to put in place the catch share regulatory system fused to guild-like cooperatives of fishermen.
The letter — by Mayor Carolyn Kirk, state Sen. Bruce Tarr and state Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante — emphasized that the National Marine Fisheries Service did not seem prepared for the start of catch share system used by the cooperatives, called sectors, and that the confusion, uncertainty and worry have left the fleet unwilling to immediately return to fishing.
The Gloucester Seafood Display Auction reported that, in the first week, the business auctioned only 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of fish during a period when a year ago nearly 10 times that amount was offered and sold, Kirk, Tarr and Ferrante told U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Scott Brown and Congressman John Tierney.
They were members of a delegation of 23 federal lawmakers scheduled to meet this morning with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to appeal for a suite of economic relief measures designed to help keep the New England groundfishery viable.
Locke offered to meet with the delegation in response to a letter circulated by Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., and U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
The local officials based their assessment on the problems faced by the fleet as described in a free-wheeling seminar in City Hall last Friday, seven days into the new catch share system.
Among the findings cited to the congressional delegation, Kirk, Tarr and Ferrante wrote that "many vessels did not go fishing because NMFS was not able to provide fishing captains with computer upgrades that were needed to comply with (new) regulations."
They also wrote that on-board observers required by the new regimen "are requiring vessels to bring in rotten bacteria-contaminated fish, along with healthy, saleable fish."
"This is resulting in the potential contamination of the entire harvest of fish," they wrote.
"NMFS is not ready to go forward with the catch share program," they wrote. "As a result, fishermen have been (economically) injured, and if left unaddressed, our community and fishing industry will suffer irreparable harm."
The trio also summarized the stories told by fishermen in the Friday meeting. About 50 came to the meeting to report on the first week of catch share sector fishing.
The congressional caucus wrote to Locke last month that the industry faced implosion without emergency relief.
Among the requests was one for Locke to use his authority to increase the conservative allocations made by the government in response to mandates for full recovery of overfished stocks in a 10-year time frame.
Richard Gaines can be reached at 978-283-7000 x3464, or rgaines@gloucestertimes.com.
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
