Fish surveys have a catch, official admits
Source: Providence Journal
Publication date: 2002-10-05
Arrival time: 2002-10-08

* To the surprise of fishermen, a government official acknowledges flaws in data used to regulate fisheries. * * *

PROVIDENCE - For years, New England fishermen have complained that government scientists underestimate fish populations because they lack the skills and equipment to effectively trawl when they do their fish surveys.

Yesterday, John G. Boreman, research director for the National Marine Fisheries Service in New England, publicly acknowledged that "the existing survey gear has a number of design and operational problems" and he promised to work with fishermen to implement a new sampling system as quickly as possible.

Boreman said he had no way of knowing how much previous flaws with the scientists' fishing methods had affected their data.

And it remains unclear whether the new uncertainties, caused by what one speaker referred to as "Trawlgate," will lead to a postponement of new restrictions next year. Especially when fishermen feel they've already cut back so much, many are struggling to stay in business.

But several fishermen said yesterday Boreman's simple admission that the government was wrong could begin to end the years of mistrust that fishermen hold for the fisheries service's fish population data.

Boreman admitted the survey flaws to an audience of fishermen attending a panel discussion yesterday at the Fish Expo WorkBoat Atlantic marine trade show at the Rhode Island Convention Center. He made the same admission on Thursday to fishermen in Woods Hole, Mass., after they observed the scientists doing trawls from their research vessel, Albatross IV.

"Until yesterday, things were going downhill," Phil Ruhle, a fisherman from Newport, said at the Friday meeting. He praised Boreman for speaking out. "It was quite remarkable what happened [in Woods Hole] yesterday."

Others publicly thanked Boreman for cutting through the stalemate.

Boreman met with the fishermen to review a serious surveying flaw that was revealed just a month ago to the New England Fisheries Management Council at the Providence Biltmore.

Following up on advice from fishermen, the fisheries service inspected the cables running from its vessel to the net it tows along the ocean bottom for surveys. It found the cables were improperly marked so that unequal lengths were played out when the net was deployed.

The difference was as much as six feet on one side, leaving the net cocked at an angle as it was towed.

After publicly admitting the problem, the fisheries service last week took a number of area fishermen out on a trawl so they could further review the government's surveying practices.

During a meeting with fishermen on Wednesday, Ruhle said a fisheries service consultant tried to show there were no consequences caused by the unequal lines. Ruhle said the fishermen couldn't believe that was possible.

Then they looked at underwater videos taken of the net being dragged along the bottom, and they saw all kinds of problems. The Albatross went too fast, much of the net scarcely touched bottom, and in heavier seas, the net bounced repeatedly off the bottom.

All those deficiencies could cause the surveyors to catch fewer fish.

Ruhle said the fishermen were furious. And that's when Boreman spoke up and admitted there were problems.

"I have to give him credit," Ruhle said. "He stood up and did the right thing."

Boreman's boss was the keynote speaker at the fishing expo yesterday and she said she stood by his decision.

Rebecca Lent, deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs at the fisheries service, said she didn't know Boreman was going to take the position he did. "Only a scientist could have done what he did, and we stand by him," she said.

Boreman said during his presentation that the fisheries laboratory at Woods Hole is the oldest in the country and the second oldest in the world.

"We have a 100-year tradition of doing marine science," he said. "We have quite a tradition and we have no intention of compromising that."

The service has used the same net size and followed the same protocols when trawling so it could compare fish populations from one year to the next. Boreman said yesterday those practices will have to change.

"We have a 40-year-old trawl that is outdated and may not be the best way to monitor fish stocks," Boreman said. "So we agreed to design a new system. And we agreed fishermen must be part of further research."

"The main issue is trust on both sides. It will take a long time to rebuild that," Boreman said.

Speakers yesterday agreed the "Trawlgate" controversy is overshadowing some very good news and bad news for the industry.

Capt. Paul J. Howard, executive director of the New England Fisheries Management Council, said the total biomass of 12 species of fish off New England has tripled since 1994.

But he said lawsuits by environmental groups and the lack of credible science create huge problems for the council.

Vito Giacalone, a Gloucester, Mass.-based fisherman, said in seven years the number of fishing boats sailing from his harbor has declined from 138 to 30. Fish stocks are way up. Yet government regulators are planning more restrictions on fishermen.

"A judge has the industry under court order and thousands of jobs are at risk because of questionable data," Giacalone said.

Some fishermen remain angry that no one has been punished for the trawler errors. Matthew Thompson, a groundfisherman from Monhegan Island, Maine, said "We don't see any accountability here. People who go to sea to make a living are having a hard time with this. Who's accountable? We'd like to know."