Never give up hope – Sam Parisi

Just when I thought I had no help, my was voice heard.

Senator Markey’s aid, Kate Marchet, called to tell me the Senator would be in Gloucester to meet with constituents, and that she would like to meet with me.

I had reached out to the Senator about my experience in Saint Petersburg last year on a panel to review S-K grant applicants ,and was not pleased with NOAA’s selection process and distribution of the funds, and felt it is rigged by NOAA.

Meanwhile, Senator Sullivan of Alaska had presented a bill, S132, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act to have an advisory board made up of those from the fishing industry as it was in 1954.

The America Fisheries Advisory Committee (AFAC) was created to advise the Secretary of Interior about problems in the commercial fishing industry that should be addressed by the SK grant program. This committee of “19 industry experts from all segments of the industry across the country” was dissolved with other such committees in 1972. NOAA / NMFS took control of the program in the mid 70’s and until fairly recently, most of these ever increasing SK funds have been used for their budget and not for the originally intended purposes of the Act referenced above.

I had reached out to Senator Markey many times recently regarding this important bill by Senator Sullivan.

An aid to senator Sullivan, Tom Mansour, informed me that senator Markey had some reservations on the bill.

I contacted fishermen and associations asking them to be in favor and to call or write to Senator Markey.

Help from Angela Sanfilippo, of the Gloucester Fisherman’s Wives Association, Jim Kendall, New Bedford Seafood Consulting, Captain Sam Novello, Gloucester Fisheries Association, and the Honorable Mayor of Gloucester, Stefatia Romeo made the difference.

I met with Kate the next, day one on one at the Beauport Hotel in town. The meeting went well and she said senator Markey had to concerns regarding the SKG bill ,that being he was concerned that the recreation fishermen had an edge and the West Coast would also have a better advantage as written.

I told Kate I would contact Sullivan office and relay our concerns, which I did and received a call two hours latter from Sullivan’s aid, Tom Mansour, who acknowledged the issues and said he would contact me soon about our concerns.

You may ask, how us going to help me?

There is a point to be made here.

If we try hard enough we can accomplish our goals.

More importantly at the meeting with Kate Marchet, we talked about the long term goal of a Fish Bill that I believe is our salvation.

She listened and said she would ask him to help draft such a bill.

I ask for your help as well.

Lets move forward and unite like never before and simply agree on one issue, that being asking Congress to grant us a Fish Bill.

Thank you,
Sam Parisi, Gloucester. Mass.