Fisherman Could Get New Buyback Program

By Roger Wood on Wednesday, July 2, 2003.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHERMEN MAY IN A FEW YEARS BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A NEW FEDERALLY SPONSORED BOAT BUYBACK PROGRAM.

OFFICIALS ARE FLOATING A NEW PROPOSAL THAT TAKES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE PROCESS.

AND IT GIVES INDUSTRY RESPONSIBILITY FOR INCREASING FISH STOCKS OFF THE COAST.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO CORRESPONDENT ROGER WOOD HAS MORE.

NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHERMEN COULD SOON BE FACED WITH A CHOICE.

WORK FEWER DAYS AT SEA, OR SELL THE VESSEL AND FISHING PERMITS AND GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS ALTOGETHER.

FEDERAL REGULATORS AND LOCAL FISHERMAN HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD AN INDUSTRY BACKED BUYOUT PROGRAM.

ONE RECENT PUBLIC MEETING ON THE PROPOSAL ATTRACTED A FEW SEACOAST FISHERMEN IN PORTSMOUTH.

OFFICIALS FROM THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE AND THE NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL PRESENTED DATA THAT SHOW FISH STOCKS OF HADDOCK AND COD ARE REBOUNDING.

BUT THEIR LEVELS ARE STILL WAY BELOW WHAT MARINE SCIENTISTS THINK IS HEALTHY.

PAUL HOWARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL SAYS REBUILDING FROM PAST OVERFISHING IS STILL ONLY 40 PER CENT COMPLETE.

AND HE SAYS THE GOAL IS TO REPLENISH WHAT'S CALLED THE BIO-MASS OF 19 GROUNDFISH SPECIES.

(HOWARD) :10

"NOW THE TOTAL BIO-MASS IS APPROXIMATELY 350 THOUSAND METRIC TONS, AND WE HAVE TO GET TO ABOUT A MILLION METRIC TONS OF BIO-MASS.

BUT IN ORDER TO REACH THAT LEVEL, EACH VESSEL IN THE NORTHEAST COAST'S ENTIRE FLEET WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE ITS WORKING DAYS AT SEA TO ABOUT 28.

THAT WOULD BE TOUGH ON FISHERMEN LIKE BUD FERNANDEZ OF KITTERY, MAINE.

HE HAS A HARD ENOUGH TIME MAKING ENDS MEET NOW.

(FERNANDEZ) :26

"IF YOU LOOKED AT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, COMPARED TO THE WAY WE USED TO CONDUCT OURSELVES…LIKE WE USED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE INSURANCE, WE USED TO BE ABLE TO HIRE WELDERS, ELECTRICIANS AND HAVE A LOT OF WORK DONE ON OUR BOATS BY OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS. NOW, WE'RE DOING IT AL OURSELVES. WE'RE MAKING ALL OUR OWN NESTS, WE'RE DOING ALL THESE THINGS TO TRY TO SURVIVE UNTIL IT GETS BETTER."

BUT IF THE FLEET HAD FEWER SHIPS, EACH SHIP COULD STAY OUT LONGER.

THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND THE LATEST BOAT BUYBACK PROGRAM.

IT COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1000 SHIPS EACH WORKING 28 DAYS AND FOR INSTANCE 600 SHIPS EACH WORKING 100 DAYS AT SEA.

THIS LATEST PROPOSAL WOULD PAY FISHERMEN TO SCRAP THEIR BOATS THROUGH A $45 MILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL LOAN PROGRAM.

FEDERAL DOLLARS WOULD PAY FISHERMEN WHO OPT TO SELL THEIR SHIPS AND FISHING PERMITS.

THOSE WHO REMAIN IN THE FISHERY WOULD THEN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING BACK THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS.

MICHAEL STURTEVANT IS WITH THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE.

(STURTEVANT) :15

"THE LOAN ASPECT OF IT WOULD BE PAID BACK OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD THROUGH FEES PAID BY THOSE REMAINING THE LOAN WOULD REMAIN OUTSTANDING UNTIL IT IS PAID OFF."

RIGHT NOW, SOME 1400 FISHERMEN ON THE EAST COAST HOLD GROUNDFISHING PERMITS.

IN ORDER TO LAUNCH THE BUYBACK PROGRAM, TWO THIRDS OF THOSE PERMIT HOLDING FISHERMEN WHO CHOOSE TO VOTE WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT.

MAGGIE RAYMOND'S FAMILY FISHES OUT OF PORTLAND.

SHE'S STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THE BUYBACK, EVEN IF IT MEANS SUBSIDIZING THOSE WHO ARE GETTING OUT.

(RAYMOND) :26

"THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE HAVE TO REDUCE CAPACITY TO SOME EXTENT, AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE A MECHANISM FOR THE PEOPLE WHO REMAIN IN THE FISHERY TO REMAIN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. AND RIGHT NOW, WITH THE KIND OF REDUCTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE CAPACITY REDUCTION, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WILL SIMPLY NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY TO BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE."

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THAT IT WILL BE UP TO THE FISHING INDUSTRY ITSELF TO MAKE THE NEXT MOVE TO HOLD A REFERENDUM ON THE PLAN.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUYBACK COULD TAKE UP TO FOUR YEARS.

IN THE MEANTIME, FEDERAL REGULATORS AND THE INDUSTRY GROUPS CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARD ADJUSTING ALLOWABLE FISHING DAYS AT SEA.

BOTH INITIATIVES ARE AIMED AT COMPLETELY RESTORING THE FISH POPULATION BY THE YEAR 2014, AS MANDATED BY FEDERAL LAW.

FOR NHPR NEWS, THIS IS ROGER WOOD