To the editor:
We, members of Gloucester's fishing community, are writing this letter because of the recent story and headline concerning the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund (Times, Friday, Jan. 6).
We believe the way in which the story was headlined — "$2M in local LNG funds sent south" — and the story itself has caused unnecessary confusion and anger.
From the very beginning, Vito Giacalone made all of us aware that the money coming in to Gloucester from the LNG companies was going to be $10 million, and that an additional $2 million would go to Boston and the South Shore. We were all told this in 2006, way before the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund was incorporated and Vito hired to head the organization.
Vito's idea to save Gloucester's fishing industry with a community permit bank of fishermen's allowed "days at sea" was such a good idea, the state of Massachusetts chose to demand that the LNG companies fully fund the vision. Now, all active, qualified fishermen in Gloucester benefit from the permit bank — not just today's Gloucester fishermen, but those of tomorrow as well.
To explain basics, all active fishermen in Gloucester received days at sea from the permit bank since the 2007 fishing year. These days at sea likely saved many from being put out of business from the 2-to-1 counting system used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That was exactly what the permit bank set out to do for fishermen: save our port from another round of federal regulations that seemed to target Gloucester fishermen.
And what has the permit bank gotten for a thank you from our community newspaper's blogging regulars for bringing this miracle to Gloucester?
They've gotten hatred, personal attacks and been assailed with accusations over securing $10 million and saving our port from extinction, both under the days at sea system and now sectors. This treatment could not be more unfair or inaccurate, and that is why we are writing this letter.
The permit bank is managed in a way that is fair, honest and above board. In the beginning, the Board of Directors used the Fishermen Advisory Committee to make qualifying decisions for days at sea. Now, with sectors, the quota is distributed equally through our sectors following meetings with each of our local sector's boards of directors and the permit bank. Every qualifying member of each sector is given equal opportunity to access this fish.
The undersigned fishermen and the fishing industry supporters are grateful to the Board of Directors of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund — Angela Sanfilippo, Dale Brown, Jackie Odell, Vito Giacalone and program director, Paula Ryan Sullivan.
This permit bank is a true local treasure for our fishing community and related businesses. Its existence has been one of the only positive things to come to this fishing community in decades.
These are difficult times, times that could divide our fishing industry. We may not always agree on every issue, but one thing we do agree upon is the integrity of Vito Giacalone — and we cannot think of another person who could be more qualified in guiding both the permit bank and Gloucester's fishing industry.
Joseph Orlando
Captain, F/V Padre Pio
Gloucester
Paul Theriault
Vincenzo Taormina
Al Cottone
Joe Randazzo
Francezo P. Vitale
Sebastian Noto
Russell A. Sherman
Corrado Buccheri
Michael I.P. Leary
Gus Sanfilippo
Vincenzo Russo
Sal SanFilippo
Ignazio Sanfilippo
Marc Frontiero
Mark Carroll
Thomas P. Testaverde
Frank Sciortino
John Bell
Joe DiMaio
Richard L. Beal
David Williams Kathryn
Antonino Giacalone
Damon E. Cummings
Dennis C. O'Connell
Louis Williams
Scott Swicker
Jim Santapaola
Richard E. Burgess
B.G. Brown
Peter Fadden
Thomas Hill
Matthew G. Cooney
