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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 37 Number 8
April 2010
Industry engagement key to sustaining momentum
What an incredible month for the Northeast fishing industry. The fishermen’s rally in Washington, DC. Congressional hearings in Gloucester and Washington. The Northeast Fisheries Summit in New Bedford. These events have brought some long-deserved, serious attention to the enormous problems facing this industry.
Whether that attention will translate into change is still a big unknown. It will depend, at least in part, on industry’s willingness to clearly understand that there are at least three distinct issues at play. Not all of them will be solved at the same time and only a sustained commitment to press for change will make it happen.
The most immediate concern on many peoples’ minds is the groundfish sector system, which is set to go into effect on May 1. Fear is mounting about job losses and subsequent undermining of coastal communities.
There is little indication at this point that anything is going to stop this train, even though a lot of people, including some heavily invested in sectors, agree that many sectors will not survive because of low quotas.
And that has directed additional attention to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) 10-year stock rebuilding requirement, which is forcing quota reductions on a number of stocks, including “choke” species in the groundfish fishery.
The focus of the DC rally was building support for legislation – S 1255 and HR 1584 – that would broaden exceptions to the 10-year-rebuilding requirement to include cases in which lengthening the timeframe would minimize economic impacts on communities.
From a political standpoint, the hottest issue is the Commerce Department Inspector General’s investigation of federal fisheries law enforcement practices. A report released in late January finally documented the improprieties and injustices fishermen have been protesting for more than a decade.
Throughout all that has happened in recent weeks, the fishing industry has been fortunate to have some phenomenally hardworking advocates in Congress. In particular, these include US Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and US Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA), John Tierney (D-MA), and Walter Jones (D-NC). All have spoken publicly and passionately in support of their constituents. Local representatives from Massachusetts also vigorously crusaded for their cities and state.
These politicians have come to truly understand and empathize with the very real struggles the people they represent are facing. But what gave them the confidence to take action with such persuasive conviction was the loud and clear message they got from a unified industry that something had to be done.
Industry members did their homework, learned about the issues, wrote letters, sent e-mails, made phone calls, and showed up at key events. By their participation, they forced everyone to take a hard look at what government actions have been doing to real people. Now the challenge is for industry to stay motivated and stay engaged in shaping the future. /cfn/
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