Tag Archives: PAUL COHAN

Common sense and disaster relief – Paul Cohan, Gloucester

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The most important consideration in the now-contentious discussion of disaster relief distribution is the definition of the term “disaster” and its respective impacts upon the individuals affected. If a tornado were to touch down in a community and wreak such havoc for that community that a disaster declaration was warranted, relief would be distributed proportionately to the damage incurred. The guy who lost his whole house would be entitled to receive more assistance than the guy who had a few windows blown out. That only makes sense. So why are we having such a difficult time with what should be a pretty straightforward issue? Read the rest here 08:41

Letter: Fishing industry must unite – Paul Cohan, Gloucester

manatthewheelIn response to the Yankee Fleet article (“Cod restrictions hit charter fleet,” May 25): I think there’s a lesson to be learned from this crash. That being that we all either swim or sink together. We can no longer afford the self-destructive luxury of sniping at each other — commercial vs. recreational, big vs. little, hook vs. net, inshore vs. offshore. NOAA and its masters intentionally employ divisive regulatory tactics in order to prevent us from presenting a united front, which is essential to our survival as a viable industry.  Read the rest here  10:33

I smell a rat. Several of them, in fact. Paul Cohan, Gloucester

pcohanThe fisheries collapse isn’t going to rectify itself at any time in the near future, that is, if the situation is as dire as NOAA and it’s ENGO puppet masters insist. Therefore, a buyout program, as originally incorporated into the industry disaster relief plan, is clearly not only a commitment, but a necessity. There is a substantial number of permit holders who have been forced to sell their boats in order to just catch up with their bills simply because they don’t have enough fish, and access to what few they do have, to remain solvent. Read the rest here 08:44

Letter: Token haddock gain can’t hide NOAA targets – Paul Cohan, Gloucester

pcohanThose fish are just hush money for the big boys, as well as a PR talking point to convince the general public that NOAA is really in our corner. As usual, New Bedford and Chatham remain unscathed despite a growing body of data which suggests a much higher degree of interaction between Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod stocks, which approaches interdependency. Read the rest here 09:35

Fishing crisis only follows NOAA’s failed policies – Paul Cohan, Gloucester

environmental-watchdog[1]Weren’t NOAA’s “catch shares” and “sector management” strategies supposed to have been the panacea for the fishery?  Weren’t they supposed to eliminate the widely acknowledged disparities between inshore and offshore, different gear types, big and little? Weren’t they supposed to eliminate the last vestiges of the failed Days At Sea management suite, with its associated trip limits, wasteful discards, and discriminatory spacial and temporal allocations? Read the rest here 13:49

Homage to the late Richard Gaines – Letter: Don’t forget Gaines’ push for fishing justice – Paul Cohan

130610_GT_OUT_RICHARDWhile everyone’s talking about disbursement, and congratulating elected and non-elected representatives upon the news of the federal fishing aid package, it has occurred to me that there is no individual who deserves more credit for this and many other minor victories than the late Richard Gaines.  Without his dogged, investigative, reporting and well-seasoned and honed intuition, the few positive accomplishments, this one certainly included, which we have experienced over the past few years, would not have been possible. Read more@gdt  07:53

Paul Cohan: This is in response to John Bullard in the Myopic View Column in the GDT

I don’t know where to start. This is one of those instances where “to  keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool is better than opening it up  and removing all doubt”, something you should’ve considered before you  submitted this deceptive drool. Your self serving revisionist history  would be right up there with “intelligent design” if not for the fact  that there is nothing intelligent designed into “Your View:  Read more here     – John Bullard, My View: Fisheries hold challenges, opportunities   20:41

Letter: Stories show need to focus on NOAA science – Mike Dyer, Essex, Ma

gdt iconThe Nov. 21 Times included several illuminating items about the state of our fisheries. In his letter to the editor, Paul Cohan took NOAA regional administrator John Bullard out to the woodshed, shredding Bullard’s recent “My View” piece.  In the other, we learned that the New England Fisheries Management Council will not impose emergency restrictions on the big herring trawlers, against the protests of haddock fishermen, who say that the trawlers take too many haddock as bycatch. more@GDT  17:34

Letter: Budget bill the right way to get at NOAA – Paul Cohan, Captain, F/V Sasquatch, Gloucester

pcohangdt iconI am writing regarding the Senate Appropriations bill on fisheries. Obesity in government is truly an epidemic and NOAA is the posterboy — overstaffed, overpaid, and underworked, a recipe for systemic, catastrophic failure. continued@GDT

Letter to the Editor: Mayor wrong to throw NOAA a ‘white flag’ – Paul Cohan, Captain, F/V Sasquatch, Gloucester

gdt iconI am writing in response to the story regarding Mayor Kirk and her planning for “transition” on Gloucester’s waterfront (the Times, Page 1, Monday, May 20). One thing I’ve noted over the years is that “nicey nice” doesn’t work with the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, the Department of Commerce, or any other federal agency. In D.C., it seems, diplomacy is seen as weakness and something to be exported overseas (where it clearly doesn’t work either). Domestically, it’s gloves off, bare knuckled, all out, do or die persistence that carries the day. continued

Letter to the Editor: This is an open letter to NOAA regional administrator John Bullard. Dear John, I’m leaving you. You’ve lost me. Paul Cohan, Captain, F/V Sasquatch Gloucester

pcohanThis is an open letter to NOAA regional administrator John Bullard.

Dear John, I’m leaving you. You’ve lost me. You’ve tripped yourself up in your misinformation too many times.

The honeymoon is over. It’s all over. My heart is broken. And I’m angry. Do you actually expect anyone to believe this gurry barge you just attempted to foist upon the public as truth? This is Gloucester. We still hear the shrill echos of your elitist “nobody is guaranteed a job for life” — unless you’re “the Shredder” and his enforcement gang. Then your callous “day of reckoning” comment! Bet you wish you could take that one back! continued

Letter: Quota caps would further harm fishery Paul Cohan – Captain, F/V Sasquatch Gloucester

NOAA and administrator Jane Lubchenco demanded and enacted a deeply flawed, possibly illegal amendment in which various interests have invested millions. It is just not financially feasible to undo this. Amendment 16 privatized and commodified fishing rights. Unless they intend to scuttle the “catch scam” system altogether, which is highly unlikely, the council will only exacerbate and perpetuate the misfortune of some while ensuring the fortunes of others by establishing accumulation limits this late in the game. Read More http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x520551946/Letter-Quota-caps-would-further-harm-fishery

Paul Cohan – F/V Sasquatch Shift of fishing closure gives hope

To the editor:

Hats off to John Bullard and the Northeast Seafood Coalition (“NOAA backs off gillnet closure,” Page 1, Gloucester Daily Times, Sept. 27).

How is it that the coalition, with far fewer resources and access to data, devised an acceptable alternative that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grudgingly accepted with less than 96 hours to go before the closure went into effect? http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x708369977/Letter-Shift-of-fishing-closure-gives-hope