DAN'S PAPERS, March 12, 2010 Page 17 www.danshamptons.com
BUSINESS Givin’ You the
Politics and the East End Fishing Industry
By T.J. Clemente The fishing industry in the United States, and specifically on the East End of Long Island, is in the midst of a swirl of controversy and turmoil due to what the fishermen call too much government interference. New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, a fine legal mind who usually sees issues clearly, said, “The source of nearly every problem faced by the commercial fishing industry on Long Island is directly related to the unfair quota system set under federal law. The quotas are arbitrary, capricious and based on faulty data. While litigation brought by New York State is pending to overturn the quotas for some species, federal legislation is clearly the best avenue to correct this injustice.” A few weeks ago, when two busloads of local fisherman joined thousands from all over the nation and descended on Washington to express their displeasure on U.S. government policy, Thiele said that their presence, “helps to highlight the need for regulatory reform of this industry, one of our most hallowed traditions as well as a continuing cornerstone of our economy. Their efforts in Washington will provide a major assist to our Congressional delegation’s efforts to institute a more flexible fishing policy that balances conservation and economic needs.” As Thiele explained to me a few weeks back, an amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Act approved by Congress in 1996 mandated that the fisheries service create a rebuilding plan for
stocks that were in danger of being over fished. That amendment, known as the Sustainable Fisheries Act, was reauthorized 10 years later. The problem, according to Bonnie Brady of Montauk, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association, is that 78% of 240 stocks harvested by commercial fishermen are actually not over fished. In fact according to the government’s own statistics, the majority of stocks are in great shape. Brady pointed out that, now, 84% of stocks are not experiencing over fishing. “We’re the only guys doing the right thing and we’re being doubly screwed for it,” Brady was reported to say. “Fishermen have been villainized by the government.” Brady, a speaker at the February 25 rally at the nation’s capitol, was reported as saying, “The idea was to create awareness of an issue. It did so, but it was just a start. Unfortunately, we’re in a marathon.” The East End delegation at the rally, where an estimates on attendance ranged from 3,5007,000, heard speeches by legislators including Representative Tim Bishop, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator Charles Schumer, all Democrats from New York. Another vocal local in Washington willing to be quoted was Bart Richie, also of Montauk, who reported said, “I’m not a recreational fisherman, and I’m not a commercial fisherman. I’m a fisherman.” Feeling the heat of state regulation right here in the Hamptons are brothers Paul and Daniel Lester of Montauk. Daniel is faced with two
felony and five misdemeanor charges, while brother Paul has a total of six felony and two misdemeanor charges on his docket—all related to the sale of porgies and summer flounder. The men were charged with fishing without a state permit. Their court date is scheduled on April 1. The Lester brother’s attorney, Daniel Rodgers of Riverhead, is vowing to end New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) ability to intimidate local fisherman. His plan for the Lester brothers’ defense is to prove that the reporting of the facts of the incident are incorrect; that the DEC data used for the case is outdated and faulty; and lastly, that there is a jurisdiction issue between the East Hampton Trustees and the DEC. So with the curse of certain fishing grounds to be closed for up to 10 years and the controversy of the state’s challenge to local jurisdiction concerning permits, the fishermen on the East End are being challenged on many fronts. They join fishermen, charter and party boat captains, and marine business owners from coast-to-coast who gathered in Washington to demand changes in fisheries law that they say is putting them out of work. The truth is that their plight is lost in the chorus of voices saying government is overstepping its boundaries. It comes down to this: Will Washington hear their voices or will the bureaucrats pay lip service and then go on with business as usual while a sacred industry fights for survival against overregulation by people whose only real experience on the matter is ordering the “fish of the day” at lunch.
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