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NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncil
FOR IMMEDIATERELEASEPRESSCONTACT:JanicePlanteNovember20,2017(607)592-4817,[email protected]
NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncil|50WaterStreet,Mill2|Newburyport,MA01950Phone:(978)465-0492|Fax:(978)465-3116|www.nefmc.org
NewEnglandCouncilSupportsRegionalAdministrator’sActiontoEnforceGroundfish SectorIXOperationsPlan
TheNewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncilsupportstoday’sannouncementbytheNationalMarineFisheriesService’s(NMFS)GreaterAtlanticRegionalFisheriesOffice(GARFO)thatitwillbeenforcinggroundfishsectorrulesandtheNortheastFisherySectorIXoperationsplan.
UnderAmendment16totheCouncil’sgroundfishplan,GARFO’sregionaladministratorhasauthoritytowithdrawapprovalofasectoratanytimeheorshe,afterconsultingwiththeNewEnglandCouncil,determinesthat:(1)sectorparticipantsarenotcomplyingwiththerequirementsofanapprovedoperationsplan;or(2)“continuationoftheoperationsplanwillundermineachievementoffishingmortalityobjectives”oftheNortheastMultispeciesFisheryManagementPlan.
RegionalAdministratorBullardconsultedwiththeCouncilontwooccasions– firstduringtheCouncil’sJunemeetinginPortland,MEandthenagainduringtheSeptembermeetinginGloucester,MA.OnSeptember27,theCouncilvotedtorequestthat“GARFOimmediatelyenforcesectorregulationsandtheSectorIXoperationsplan.”
“Weaskedthemtoenforcetherule,andthat’swhatthey’redoing,”saidCouncilExecutiveDirectorTomNies.“Since2004,theCouncilhasemphasizedrepeatedlythatsectorsareresponsibleformonitoringtheircatchandenforcingsectorprovisions.SectorIXfailedtocomplywithitsownenforcementprovisionswhenitspresidentadmittedtoreportingviolations.”
NMFSpublishedaninterimfinalruleonApril28,2017statingithad“provisionallyapproved”theSectorIXoperationsplanfor2017and2018,alongwiththeannualcatchentitlement(ACE)allocatedtothesectorfor2017. – NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncilphoto
NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncil
NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncil|50WaterStreet,Mill2|Newburyport,MA01950Phone:(978)465-0492|Fax:(978)465-3116|www.nefmc.org
CarlosRafael,whowaspresidentofthesectoratthattime,pleadedguiltyonMarch30tofalselyreportingcatchinformationfor13vesselsoperatingunderthesector.However,sincetheRafaelcasewasunderlitigationwhenNMFSpublishedtheinterimfinalruleapprovingalloftheregion’s19sectorsandtheiroperationsplans,theagencystateditsintentiontotake“additionalaction”ifwarrantedforSectorIXfollowingsettlementofRafael’scriminalcase.
RafaelwassentencedSeptember25inU.S.DistrictCourtinBostonto46monthsinprison,threeyearsofsupervisedrelease,andfines.OnOctober11,hewasfurtherorderedtoforfeithisinterestsinfourvesselsandtheirassociatedpermits.
GARFO’sannouncementtodaywithdrawingapprovaloftheSectorIXoperationsplansmeansthatvesselsenrolledinSectorIXareprohibitedfrom:(1)fishingonasectortripandharvestingsectorACE;(2)fishingonacommonpooltrip;or(3)joininganothersector.
However,theactiondoesnot reallocatetheACEtoothersectorsortothecommonpool.NMFSiscontinuingtoanalyzetheextentofthesector’sACEoveragesbasedonthemisreportingofcatchinformationforseveralstocks.Theagencystated,“Anyaccountabilitymeasures,suchasassessinganddeductingACEoveragesincurredbythesector,(will)bedeterminedinafutureaction.”
AdditionalinformationaboutthecriminalcaseisavailablethroughtheU.S.DistrictAttorney’sofficeat:• https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/owner-one-nation-s-largest-commercial-fishing-businesses-
sentenced-falsifying-records
VisittheNewEnglandCouncil’sgroundfishwebpageat:• https://www.nefmc.org/management-plans/northeast-multispecies
“Forthefuturesuccessofthesectorsystem,fishermenandthepublicmustbeconfidentthatsectorswilladheretomanagementprovisions.”
– NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncilinaSeptember29,2017lettertoGARFORegionalAdministratorJohnBullardseekingimmediateenforcementofsectorregulationsandtheSectorIXoperationsplan
