Contact: Matt Stout FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/23/96
The last of 11 grants for a pilot vessel buyout program will be awarded by the Commerce Department on May 28 in Fairhaven. The program is designed to have vessel owners scrap their vessels and relinquish their federal groundfish fishing permits to the Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"This is the last of the 11 transactions under the pilot program in which effective fishing capacity will be permanently reduced in the troubled groundfish fishery off the coast of New England, said Douglas K. Hall, Commerce's assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere. "When combined with the upcoming $25 million long-term buyout, it is clear we are adopting a truly innovative approach in addressing the collapse of traditional groundfish stocks that has had widespread economic effects upon fishing communities, fishermen and their families."
The Susie K, a Kavanagh Fisheries Inc. 76-foot steel- stern trawler built in 1983, may be handed over to the New England Aquarium for temporary display before it is scrapped as part of the $2 million Fishing Capacity Reduction Demonstration Program initiated by the late Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown in March 1995.
The pilot buyout program was established in June 1995 as a test program to demonstrate that a vessel removal program could be used as an effective tool in the conservation and management of U.S. marine fisheries. The program was funded for only $2 million, but 114 vessel owners applied.
In August 1995, Commerce Secretary Brown committed $25 million for a more comprehensive vessel buyout program for New England groundfish fishermen. This program will be based on the results of the pilot program and implemented once long-term management measures for the fishery are in place. The Department is seeking legislative changes to the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act, which will allow the implementation of the expanded buyout program.
Permanent removal of these vessels represent a critical component of a comprehensive program of economic assistance and fishery resource management -- a program aimed at sustainable development of the ailing fishing industry and the local economies, fishermen and families dependent on that industry.
"It is in a real way a sad day for these worthy vessels. However, this program provides an opportunity for individuals to salvage a fair price for vessels that will permanently be retired from fishing," said John Bullard, director of NOAA's Office of Sustainable Development.
The pilot buyout grant recipients were chosen by a scoring formula developed with input from the fishing industry. This formula was used to select the voluntary offers from vessel owners. Before awarding the grants, NOAA verified the information contained in each fisherman's application and approved the owner's proposed vessel scrapping plan. Fishermen have agreed to immediately surrender all their federal fishing permits and promptly scrap their vessels.
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