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DRAFT Minutes
Sea Scallop Working Group March 27, 1995 Cape Cod Economic Development Council
The purpose of this meeting was to review the major local, state, and
federal activities Harlyn Halvorson reviewed the efforts of the State Working Groups set up by the Governor's Office. These groups -- one for Economics, one for Environment, and one for Regulatory Affairs -- are using the State's White Paper, prepared by Coastal Zone Management, as a starting point in reviewing current policy and recommending new policy. There is also a Steering Committee set up to draw together the work and recommendation of the three groups. Priscilla Brooks, who sits on the Economics Working Group, mentioned that they were in the process of forming sub-working groups now. The Marketing Committee, for example, is working on a) financing of aquaculture development: state and federal programs and the role of banking; b) state interagency roles and the need for a aquaculture coordinator; c) education and training; and d) regulatory barriers to marketing: e.g. size limits. The Environmental Review Committee and Monitoring Working Group, which Harlyn co-chairs, has had 2 meetings so far and is pursuing international approaches to environmental implications of aquaculture. Pat Eldridge reviewed State Senator Rauschenbach's bill, called the Coastal Assessment of Science and Technology (COAST) Bill. This draft bill has just been filed and has 10 sponsors. It still needs to be assigned to the Science and Technology Committee. Comments are welcome. This bill addresses the development of the coastal economy by encouraging the transfer of Science and Technology research into useful products and supporting sustainable economic development. This bill requests $30 million: $5 million for 9 projects which enhance aquaculture and mariculture industries, including planning and studies for siting, construction, and improvement; $5 million for 10 projects under a fisheries and science and technology program; including a shellfish hatchery, and a program to provide seed to coastal towns; $10 million for marine technology, biotechnology, and environmental programs, e.g. ship design, anti-fowling agents; $7.5 million for seafood product safety from ship to market place, including waste management; and $1 million to create a strategic envirotechnology partnership to research and develop new technologies to address waste water problems. The bill also established a Coastal Assessment, Science, and technology Review Commission to review progress of the funded programs each year. Grant Kelley mentioned that there are billions of dollars of unused bonding bills in the state that are available. However, a bonding cap on what is spent each year means that only $66-800 million can be released for projects each year. Peter Shelley noted that this implies we should choose areas for investment, e.g. sea scallops, rather than spread the funds so thinly that little is accomplished. He recommended that a non-profit corporation be set up to prioritize areas for state investment. The problem is in harnessing political support. Pat Eldridge said it would be helpful if outside groups let Senators know Sea Scallops are important. Ron Smolowitz gave an update on his SEASTEAD project. He noted that they were dealing with Council rules by making an amendment allowing experiments to happen. He suggested that the Council meet with fishermen to determine what sites do not interfere with fishing. He also suggested a moratorium for 1 year on fishing in designated areas so that aquaculture can be promoted. As for political support, Ron mentioned that the MA Farm Bureau needs to take a position on aquaculture, e.g. on what agencies have the lead role, etc. The American Farm Bureau has 5 million members that will lend support if there is enough support within MA. On Long Island, the Farm Bureau represents aquaculturists. Cliff Goudey mentioned that we need engineering reviews for aquaculture rigs. Grant Kelley mentioned that the possibility of entanglement in long lines for aquaculture is a hurdle. Judy Dutra, who has a 10 acre site for aquaculture, mentioned that they are submitting alternate plans to overcome the entanglement concerns in the hope that they can get something in the water this year. Bill Burt reported on the Barnstable County Aquaculture SWAT Team. They have a program to educate towns regarding aquaculture laws, apparatus, economic benefits, and strategy for aquaculture. They are now working on an education course to be held at MBL for one week this summer. The MBL currently has a mariculture course for research organisms. The SWAT TEAM hopes to open it to aquaculturists, bankers, boards of selectmen, shellfishers, regulators, insurers, etc. They hope to open this to all states in the region served by the Northeastern Aquaculture center, and also for extension agents from outside the area. Projected cost for the course is $30,000. They expect to charge $1500 per person and serve 20 people. Chris Mantzaris mentioned that there is a similar course on Long Island. He also mentioned a program in Eastport, ME. The Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center sets up courses in schools in Eastport on how to work on fish farms. The funding comes from ENRAC. As a result of the program, town employment has increased from 5% to 50%, and lobster, sea urchin, and salmon industries are developing. Chris mentioned that in this program, landowners were an important group to reach for support. Chris Mantzaris described the NMFS's Working Paper on aquaculture, which is not yet ready to be released. He reported that NMFS is "pro-active and pro-aquaculture". It is pro-active in that it gets involved with issues important to commercial growers, e.g. pollution, disease (parasites), stress/overcrowding, genetic integrity, diluting quality of wild stocks. He said that NMFS sees aquaculture not as stocking the oceans but as supplying the seafood market. In Washington, there is a turf battle between NMFS and USDA. The problem is getting the two to work together. Chris feel that USDA is not doing as much for aquaculture as it could/should. Harlyn Halvorson reported on progress of the document being prepared by the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture of the Executive Office of Science and Technology Policy. The draft document is currently being reviewed by the participating federal agencies, and covers both marine and freshwater issues. A short presentation was made of U.S. Senate Bill 39, sponsored by Sen. Stevens, Kerry, and Murkowski. This bill is designed to amend the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act. Hearings on the reauthorization of the Magnuson Act were held in Boston on March 4, 1995. Rollin Johnson related progress by the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment on their aquaculture study. Designed with technological needs for aquaculture in mind, the paper involved 16 contracted papers and reviews of them by over 100 experts. The draft document will be reviewed by about 200 people and the final document will be released this summer to Congress. It will be released to the public in September or October. This report deals with both freshwater and marine aquaculture and the 150 page effort will cost about $400,000 to produce. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to the planning for a final workshop to be held this summer on Sea Scallops. Dale Leavitt summarized a proposal for a workshop, supported in part by Sea Grant, prepared by himself and Harlyn Halvorson. Prior to the workshop we would invite several people to draft a Working Paper which would draw upon the documents we have reviewed (sea scallop projects in Massachusetts, and present and pending legislation) to arrive at recommendations for sea scallop aquaculture. This Working Paper would be distributed prior to the meeting. The Workshop will last two days. Day 1: Day 2: Following the Workshop a Redrafting Committee will be formed to incorporate changes in the Working Paper arising from the meeting. A revised Working Paper will be distributed to the attendees for comment and/or approval. Upon completion of this process, the final Document incorporating our recommendations will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and Local offices. Ron Smolowitz urged that our Working Paper not be another White Paper on Sea Scallop Aquaculture, but be highly focused on recommendations. For example, it could include a draft of an amendment to the Magnuson Act, accompanied by a discussion on why we came up with these recommendations at the Federal, State and local levels. Following extensive discussions, it was agreed that the breakout groups
and Working Paper should include: There was a general consensus that we need to generate a list of people
to invite which should include a cross section of people interested in
sea scallop aquaculture, including those who have expressed concerns.
A number of suggested topics for invited speakers include: It was agreed that the Workshop will be held on Cape Cod somewhere between mid July and late August. The Cape Cod Community College was suggested as a possible site; their auditorium hold 700 people. Alternatively we will consider the Mass. Maritime Academy. Finally, the prospective authors of the Working Paper were discussed. It was agreed that those with practical experience (Ron Smolowitz, Judy Dutra, Grant Kelley; Chris Mantzaris;) provide proposed amendments and solutions, approaches to towns (Judy Dutra and Rod Taylor), general issues (Cliff Goudey; Mike Hickey), that we include environmental issues(Priscilla Brooks; Peter Shelley) and include relevant material we have collected (Dale Leavitt; Harlyn Halvorson). Dale Leavitt, Peter Shelley and Harlyn Halvorson will take responsibility for assembling the Working Paper.
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