Frank wants the limits raised

Frank wants state and feds to discuss raising catch limits


By Dan McDonald



December 23, 2010 12:00 AM


NEW BEDFORD — Citing miscommunication between the federal and state levels in recent months, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said he hopes to have representatives of the governor's office and the U.S. Department of Commerce discuss lifting catch limit regulations for "choke" species sometime after the holidays.


In the fall, Gov. Deval Patrick called on Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to grant an emergency increase in catch limits for some groundfish species to help struggling fishermen.
Both the state and fishermen are waiting for the federal government to act on Patrick's recommendations, said Bob Vanasse, the executive director of the industry advocacy group Saving Seafood.

"It's definitely a point of irritation," said Vanasse. "Everybody was hoping this would be worked out weeks ago."
Locke said in October that the Magnuson-Stevens Act gives him the authority to issue emergency regulations to raise catch limits. Since then, he has elected not to use such authority.

Vanasse is not the only one who is frustrated.
"It's reached the point where I don't think you'll ever get the genie back in the bottle," said Jim Kendall of New Bedford Seafood Consulting. "That's what you always hear — bureaucratic delays and miscues. Whom do you blame, a bureaucrat? It's nameless and harmless."

The governor, said Kendall, is not "asking for overfishing."
"They have these precautionary removals all the way down the line, there's such a buffer there," said Kendall of the federal regulations. "It's like a withholding tax exceeding your pay."
Frank said he hoped Locke and Gov. Patrick could "re-engage after the holiday" to discuss raising catch limits for several species, including yellowtail flounder and Georges Bank cod.
"It's going slower than I wanted. I worry about foot-dragging in the fishing agencies down here," said Frank.

Patrick spokesman Bob Keough said Wednesday the state is digesting what a new federal law passed by Congress earlier this week will mean for groundfishermen.
Fishing industry advocates say the law will bring equity to fish-sharing negotiations with Canada and could lead to a bump in catch limits for some species.
Asked if the new law does enough in terms of fishermen relief, Keough said: "It's too soon to tell. We still need to understand the full implications and understand just how much potential is there."

"We have the governor's request in there," said Keough. "It's pending and we're expecting a response from the Department of Commerce."





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