Page 20. MAINE COASTAL NEWS November 2011


NEW ENGLAND GROUNDFISH MANAGEMENT TESTIMONY Continued from Page 10.


last several years. I embrace the goal of fully exploiting available quotas and will continue to support Council and NOAA efforts to help the industry catch the maximum amount of fish allowed across the full range of managed stocks. Continuing evolution of the manage- ment program to sectors, as well as conserva- tion engineering solutions, such as net de- sign, will result in improvements in the fishery’s ability to catch more of the available fish. Moreover, I firmly believe that under the sector program we can and should look for opportunities to expeditiously open closed areas, which will directly benefit fishermen. 3. Improve understanding, delivery and use of socio-economic data. We have worked aggressively to understand the complex eco- nomic conditions impacting fishermen, and a detailed description of this work is contained in Attachment B.


We are now completing a more compre- hensive annual report on groundfishing for year 2010 that will help us to better under- stand performance at the vessel ownership level. The report will analyze vessel operating and sector membership cost and information about quota trading to better evaluate changes in fishery and financial perfor- mance.


We are also in support of the Massachu- setts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) in a study with the University of Massachu- setts’ School for Marine Science and Tech- nology (SMAST) to better understand the challenges faced by the South Shore fisher- men of Sector X. This is the work initiated in response to Governor Patrick’s earlier re- quest for a fishery disaster declaration. We anxiously await the results.


A team of NMFS, DMF, and SMAST is conducting an analysis of how the financial position of vessels was affected by the 2010 transition to catch-share and quotas-based


management through a “break-even analy- sis” of the groundfish fishery. The team has compiled vessel profiles using statistical averages for seven gear and vessel size cat- egories. The analysis was completed in mid- September and is currently undergoing peer review. We understand how important this analysis is and have had our economists working closely on this project, have met with this team bi-weekly, and given financial sup- port to ensure its completion. Preliminary analysis shows that while a number of fleet segments performed better in 2010 relative to 2009, some segments did perform worse, in- cluding some of the smaller boat segments. 4. Address the concerns about exces- sive accumulation of fishing privileges. Soon after the sector program was approved by the Council, NOAA identified consolidation as a potentially serious problem and requested the Council ensure the continuation of a diverse fleet. NOAA is working with the New England Council to develop an amendment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Man- agement Plan. This amendment would set limits on the amount of fishing privileges that can be accumulated by a particular indi- vidual, business or other entity such as a sector. At the Council’s request, we pub- lished a “control date” of April 7, 2011, to notify the industry that accumulation of fish- ing privileges after that date may be treated differently than those accumulated before the date. Establishing a control date also gives the public notice that interested partici- pants should locate and preserve records that substantiate and verify their ownership or control of groundfish permits and other fishing privileges in the fishery.


5. Encourage development of innova- tive gear. NOAA has provided funding for other innovations to improve overall ground- fish fishery performance, particularly coop- erative research to help the fishing industry develop more selective gear and fishing


methods to enable fishermen to reduce the bycatch of the more vulnerable stocks, allow- ing the industry to fully utilize quotas for healthy groundfish stocks. A few examples of the types of research underway include modifying a net to a topless trawl to better target flounder while avoiding cod and had- dock and creating several additional escape panel designs to promote escape of certain species or size classes of fish; increasing the size of codend meshes to reduce bycatch of non-cod species while increasing the value of cod captured by targeting larger fish; test- ing tension sensors deployed within the meshes at the rear of the net to reduce dis- carding and allowing operators to be more strategic in the capture and marketing of their catch; ongoing testing of fuel consumption to determine the overall profitability of using the modified gear in comparison to unmodi- fied gear; and developing an inexpensive, underwater-detaching codend to address the problem of catching large amounts of unwanted fish species. I am committed to supporting such innovative approaches to fishing and to have NOAA assist in the expeditious deployment of these innova- tions.


It is worth noting that in addition to managing fisheries, NOAA provides a wealth of services to fishermen in New En- gland. NOAA marine weather reports and navigation charts provide critical informa- tion for fishing vessels; NOAA satellites provide data for weather reports and receive search and rescue signals; and NOAA scien- tific research informs future management. In summary, implementing a completely new fishery management system in New England is challenging and requires close attention to design during this early phase, but the sys- tem also holds promise for increasing flexibil- ity and economic returns for fishermen. As I have highlighted in my testimony, the agency is working diligently to address is-


sues together with the Council and the indus- try as they arise. While we are making good progress, we acknowledge the system is not perfect and we are committed to continually making improvements.


We are seeing benefits from the transi- tion to sector management as catches do not exceed the annual catch limits, and fishing becomes more efficient and flexible, all of which contribute to the common goal of eco- logical and economic sustainability of groundfish stocks. NOAA will continue to work with the fishing industry and the New England Council to adapt these programs as needed, and to ensure open and productive communication with the New England fish- ing community.


These are extremely challenging eco- nomic times for the Nation, and that is cer- tainly true for fishermen. There are no easy answers, no silver bullets, and I do not come here claiming to have all the answers. But one thing I am sure of is the need for all of us to continue to work together toward the shared goal of sustainable fisheries and good fish- ing jobs. Sustainable fisheries are about a better future – a time when fishermen can rely on fishing as a stable income for their families, a time when grandparents and grandkids spend a day out on the water fishing, and a time when fishing communities can count on fishing to help their local economies recover and thrive. I believe fishermen, scientists, environmentalists, processors, chefs, gov- ernment managers, and others can work to- gether toward these shared goals. Thank you again for the opportunity to discuss NOAA’s efforts on groundfish man- agement in New England. We are available to answer any questions you may have.


Attachment A


The Value of Rebuilding Fisheries Across our Country


Fishing in all its forms is a $71 billion per HELP - SATURN'S Engine Room Next Big Project!


This is SATURN'S main engine, which is a Cleveland 16-278A.


SATURN is a 117-foot railroad tug built as the BERN for the Reading Railroad in 1907. She is one of the last railroad tugs in existence and is being saved for future generations to enjoy. For further information : (207) 223-8846 or to join the Friends of SATURN, send a check for $25 or more to P.O. Box 710, Winterport, ME 04496.


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