Tag Archives: Peter Baker
A Famed Fishing Port Staggers as Its ‘Codfather’ Goes to Jail
Carlos Rafael, whose initials are emblazoned on boats all over this port city, boasted that his fishing empire was worth even more than official records showed.,,Fishermen, ice houses and shoreside suppliers who once did business with Mr. Rafael are anxious, as their own businesses have slowed or stopped. As Mr. Rafael sits in prison, having pleaded guilty to lying about his catches and smuggling cash out of the country, nearly two dozen of his boats have been barred from fishing for species like cod and haddock, grinding part of the centuries-old maritime economy in the nation’s most lucrative fishing port to a halt. >click to read< 16:45 
Did catch shares enable the Codfather’s fishing fraud?
Carlos Rafael’s guilty plea late last month of falsifying fish quotas, conspiracy and tax evasion has prompted renewed criticism of one of the most contentious parts of the New England groundfish fishery’s management system: catch shares.Rafael, who dubbed himself “The Codfather,” owned one of the largest commercial fishing fleets in the United States, and for some community fishermen in New England, his case represents consolidation run amok. Consolidating fishing permits, they say, also centralizes power, making fraud more likely. But for environmentalists who support catch shares as a way to reduce overfishing, consolidation isn’t inevitable. They say Rafael’s case highlights the need for better monitoring and fraud protections to prevent the sort of cheating that can plague any fishery management system. click here to read the rest 19:09
Huge herring haul worries rival fishermen, environmentalists
A little fish that New Englanders have sought since the Colonial era is at the center of a battle over how to manage massive boats that trawl swaths of ocean off the East Coast. The catch for the Atlantic herring, which travels in groups sometimes numbering in the billions, is in the midst of a massive boom. Last year fishermen caught more than 95,000 metric tons of the fish for the first time since 2009, federal statistics show. Now rival fishermen are raising concerns about the high catches, and regulators are starting to consider whether the big haul is adversely impacting the environment, marine mammals or other fisheries. Read the rest here 14:29
Pew Crusader Notions: Emergency Action Needed to Reverse Cod’s Collapse
Federal fisheries officials have a chance to halt the alarming decline of New England’s cod. But they can only do so if they take swift, bold action not only to reduce the number of cod killed by fishing but to increase protection for the places these fish need to feed, grow, and reproduce. Read the rest here 12:58
Out of Nowhere Comes an Updated Stock Assessment on Cod!
Some quips, quotes and communications of the new reformulated and deadly impromptu Cod Assessment from the good people at NOAA, and its under agencies. Read it, and tell me what you think. Our comment section is open! <Read more here> 17:16
Peter Baker Pew Director of U.S. Oceans, Northeast – Fish recovery plans have shown their value
Steve Urbon’s Oct. 28 column, “Don’t take NOAA for an answer,” painted an inaccurate picture of what the science and the law say about many of our region’s depleted fish populations. The best available science provides compelling justification for,,, more@southcoasttoday 06:55
On “Forage Fish”, Pew’s Peter Baker Misses the Mark, savingseafood.org tears through the dogma.
The paper’s recommendations are based around the assumption that “forage fish” is a legitimate and useful categorization of species to be used in fisheries management, and that the various “forage species” can be managed under the same broad guidelines. Specifically, continued
Guest View: Strong action on menhaden best for coastal economy and ecology – Peter Baker – Pew Environment Group.
Unfortunately, a recent guest commentary in this paper (“Guest View: Menhaden fishery needs reasonable — not drastic — action,” Nov. 7) presented an outdated picture of the science about this fish and a false choice between protecting menhaden and jobs. In fact, sound science supports bold action on menhaden to benefit both our coastal ecosystem and economy.http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121203/OPINION/212030322
Crisis highlights running dispute over US fish law
Jay Lindsey once again tells us a portion of the story, and shame on Peter Baker for capitalizing on it, as is the usual for Peter Baker!
But Peter Baker of the Pew Environment Group said the law is not to blame for fish populations that have dwindled over decades, exactly what the law can fix. The law is pointed in the right direction, he said.
Have the stocks dwindled Peter Baker? And what would you base that assumption upon? The reliable trawl data of the NESC? You have the information that everyone else has that pays attention to these issue. Of course, you wouldn’t recognize the weaknesses when they conveniently favor your ENGO crusade. If there actually is plausibility to the data, and I say that with doubt, would you also recognize that herring would be included as a predator, along with an exploding population of seals, dogfish and skates, hindering any recovery? No you would not! I base that on your narrow-minded herring campaign which can’t seem to be capable of connecting any dots! Isn’t it convenient to say the 2008 trawl data was flawed, while the revelations of the NESC that they are not using the industry designed equipment for the trawl survey as was specified during the creation of it?
I am disappointed with another Jay Lindsey half story again, and am disgusted with the Pew network.
httphttp://www.berkshireeagle.com/northeastnews/ci_21717557/crisis-highlights-fish-law-dispute
