(December 18, 2006) Port of New Bedford Business Alliance seeks federal funds to support the New England (fishing vessel) Buyout Committee's efforts.

July 10, 2006
New Bedford, MA

Senator Olympia Snowe
Senator Ted Kennedy
Senator John Kerry
Congressman Barney Frank
Mayor Scott Lang
David Allison, Oceana
Multispecies Capacity Reduction Steering Committee

The Port of New Bedford Business Alliance <www.portnewbedford.org> requests your immediate support for inclusion of an amendment in House 5018 (Fisheries Reauthorization Bill) to provide matching federal block grants to fishing industry buyout programs so as to ensure achieving substantial reduction in groundfishing vessel capacity.

The recently passed Senate bill provides for fisheries conservation, but still needs to diminish vessel capacity fairly and equally to competitively sustain a viable fishing industry. Two weeks ago, the European Union voted to provide $5.4 billion for both fishery conservation and to sustain its fishing industry. Norway already has funded a 25% vessel buyout, which achieved an abrupt reversal in depletion of its salmon fishery. Australia recently announced provision of $220 million for fishing vessel buyout grants. Canada has provided over $2.6 billion in disaster aid to its eastern fishermen.

Congressional representatives on the west-coast recently were successful in blocking passage of the Senate bill until a provision was included to provided disaster relief for salmon fishermen severely impacted by recent changes in federal regulations, and are presently seeking $81 million in appropriations. California is providing $45 million in further disaster assistance. In contrast, the large U.S. eastern groundfishing industry is left to struggle by itself, leaving many fishermen on the verge of financial collapse.

Participants in the east-coast groundfishery admirably now are trying to launch a vessel buyout program on the backs of our financially hard-pressed fishermen. The projected $75 -150 million vessel buyout, targeted only for government loans, deeply contrasts with market systems in other countries with whom our fishermen must unfairly compete.

The effect of such measure within H.R. 5018 would allow for more timely and deliberate conservation of the resource, for only then would fishery conservation targets finally be in balance with an appropriate number of vessels. A progressive yet balanced methodology is needed, and we see this amendment as the possible fulcrum toward bridging the differences between H.R. 5018 presently under deliberation and the passed Senate version. Your active support is needed at this vanguard of final resolution.

Very truly yours,

Gene Soccolich
Strategic Advisor

Frederic Osborn
President