L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R
NMFS=No More Fish Science
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair.
End of U.S. overfishing was declared by recently retired NOAA scientist, Steve Murawski. NMFS’ Eric Scwaab, later dittoed this success at the Boston Seafood Show.
The “trawlgate” scandal exposed incompetency in fish research. Many questions remain about the accuracy and timeliness of science that is used to determine the life or death of our coastal communities. The study by Preston Pate validated what we in the industry, have known all along-our federal agencies best science is filled with flaws and weaknesses. Science is now tainted with an agenda called “ownership of fish forever” (catch shares).
Fishery management plan (FMP) Catch Shares/ITQ’s/IFQ’s/ LAPPS/TURFS/DAPPS/Sectors or crab rationalization. We now have the fish that laid the golden egg for a few opportunists.
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common;
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
Many years ago, the wealthy claimed the land. Today, the wealthy are claiming the oceans and public resources. If our US fish stocks are fine, why do we need to emerge into a system that requires substantial money to rent or buy fish shares from the sea lords? It is the blue whale in the room. TAC (total allowable catch) accomplishes the same thing without gifting.
The Cape Cod Commercial Hooks Club (CCCHC) receives millions and millions from foundations set up by the corporations. We cannot use the Hookers as a poster-child for successful sectors/catch shares because they are heavily subsidized. Certainly a gigantic check book equates success. Subsidies are thought to be the ruination of the fishstocks.
The CCCHC claims to have the intention of preserving fishing for the small boat fleet. Many of the grants they receive from the mega-corporations are for catch shares/sectors. We now need protected from the policies Hookers are paid to promote. Catch Shares favor the wealthier boat owners.
The CCCHC has morphed from their original hook fishermen to gillnetters. How can we be sure at some point they don’t cave into their donors and put their fish quota on the shelf?
The general category scallop fishery went to ITQ’s. The hookers heavily invested in scallop quota. Now it is hard to find quota to buy or lease from someone other than them. The hookers spent enormous sums of money buying up all the quota/history from other ports. Under Catch Shares, boats have few choices-borrow from the bank to buy or lease quota, or goout of business.
What can we do? Demand our local city and state politicians confront the federal politicians. Efficiency should be local fishermen catching local fish to local consumers. Any costs associated with the catch share scam will come out of the hold-to be picked up by the consumer.
The fish are back, let our fishermen catch them to bring jobs, food and revenue back to our towns. Stop the Kleptocrats from stealing the fish. Wall St. and their shills should not be allowed to profit on the backs of the people taking the physical risk. Abolish Catch Shares!!
www.seafoodrisk.com/lobster.html
Lobster Futures coming soon?
Mary Beth de Poutiloff
Harrington, ME
Provincetown, MA scallop fishing family
On the Future of the Maine Fisheries
I had the privilege of meeting the new D.M.R. Commissioner, Norman Olsen and we had a very nice discussion on the future of the Maine fisheries.
Babe Stanley and I drove to Hallowell ands sat in a room with Comm. Olsen and Warden Allan Talbot. We asked questions and they answered them. It was informal and I was impressed with the direction Comm. Olsen wants to direct the lobster fishery. He can't fix in a few months what it has taken years to break, but at least he has the ambition and the desire to help us into the 21st century. I hope the industry will get behind the new commissioner and Governor LePage and give them a chance to help our state recover.
Kit Johnson
Winter Harbor, Maine