Photo: Ivan / Moment / Getty Images
BOSTON (State House News Service) - As lawmakers and staffers munched on lobster macaroni and cheese, clam chowder and fresh oysters, fishermen urged Beacon Hill policymakers to continue supporting the state's challenging seafood industry, filled with environmental and regulatory hurdles, through future legislation and ongoing grant funding opportunities.
Protecting the multi-billion-dollar industry, which is responsible for landing more than 250 million pounds of seafood annually and trails only Alaska in total value, is a matter of keeping people fed, insisted Edward Barrett, president of the Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership, which represents trade associations across the state.
"We hope that you've had an opportunity to meet fishermen and their families -- that was our primary goal," Barrett said at the "Seafood Day" event, which made its post-pandemic return in the Hall of Flags on Wednesday. "So that when a piece of legislation crosses your desk that touches on the fishing community or the ocean, you think back to today and the fishermen that you met, and you contact them to talk about how the bill would affect them in their communities and businesses. Fishermen feed our communities."
Gov. Maura Healey issued a proclamation declaring Wednesday as Seafood Day, in recognition of the industry that supports more than 130,000 jobs, such as commercial fishers, lobster harvesters, clam diggers, oyster farmers, boat builders and repairers, marina managers, dockworkers, truckers, restaurant owners and chefs.
"The seafood industry is critical to the food security of Massachusetts and the work of commercial fishers is responsible for the consumption of millions of healthy meals annually," the proclamation states. "Our fishers risk their lives amongst untold dangers at sea to bring residents the best natural source of protein in the world - seafood ... The State of Massachusetts has a collective interest in promoting the health, safety and economic security of our commercial fishers and their families."
During his remarks, Barrett broadly appealed for a healthy marine environment -- and the Legislature's support to ensure the offshore wind industry "doesn't come at the expense of food security." He also explained how the lobster industry has made sacrifices to protect the critically-endangered right whale population, and so has the groundfish industry by following quotas aimed at restoring the fish stock.
The offshore wind industry affects all fisheries, said Cassie Canastra, a board member of the Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative, a nonprofit advocacy group that represents fishermen, processors and wholesalers. Fishermen need to be better included in decision-making surrounding new offshore wind projects, Canastra of New Bedford told the News Service.
"How do you work together with fishermen and make sure that fishermen are always at the table and being heard?" she said. "They'll try to include us, but it often feels like we're just a check-mark."
With construction of Vineyard Wind 1 underway off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Canastra said fishermen must be consulted about how they "feel about it, did they work together, did they feel like they were included?"
Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, said members are urging lawmakers to advance a Sen. Patrick O'Connor proposal (S 552) that would provide financial compensation to workers when they're unable to do their jobs -- and earn a living -- due to the presence of right whales. The fishing area closures, encompassing more than 11,000 square miles, last for five months and have been implemented since 2014, Casoni told the News Service.
The Joint Committee on Agriculture solicited written testimony on the bill earlier this month.
"It would really help the commercial lobster fishers here in Massachusetts," Casoni told the News Service. "We want to compensate the fishermen that are impacted."
Sen. Bruce Tarr said Wednesday's convening marked a renewed partnership between state government and the seafood industry. Commercial fishers are "the best stewards of the ocean that anyone could possibly be," the Gloucester Republican said.
"We will continue to work together to show leadership in ocean conservation, environmental stewardship, innovative harvesting, innovative processing and innovative distribution to make sure that everyone has the benefit of the bounty of the waters off of the commonwealth of Massachusetts," Tarr said.
There's a sense of resilience and "re-imagining" in the seafood industry now, fueled by restaurant closures and other major disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic that ultimately helped fisheries collaborate over shared problems and solutions, said Roger Berkowitz, the former CEO of Legal Foods.
State support to the industry, including for infrastructure and equipment investments, have been a "godsend," said Berkowitz, who's also founding president of the Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative. Other aid has targeted health interventions for fishermen surrounding trauma, substance use disorder and suicide, said J.J. Bartlett, president of Fishing Partnership Support Services.
"It's a tough industry -- we cannot do it alone," Berkowitz said. "What I would ask is you go by the (House) chamber with the cod, the Sacred Cod that's hanging there, think about this, think about the industry as a whole, help keep us sustainable."
Written By Alison Kuznitz/SHNS
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