Arrest of Carlos Rafael Casts Pall Over New Bedford Waterfront
On Friday afternoon the largest groundfish operator in New Bedford, Carlos Rafael, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a massive under the table fish scheme, in which he shipped illegal fish to New York, and in return was paid with bags of cash that he then smuggled to Portugal through Logan International Airport. Rafael owns Carlos Seafood, and operates 28 groundfish vessels, along with 12 scallopers. He has the largest quota share for many groundfish species in New England, and also leases quota from many smaller quota holders as well.
Rafael’s arrest has cast a pall over the largest waterfront in New England writes John Sackton. Many are worried about the economic impact in the city, and the fallout on New England observer requirements. Jack Spillane, a New Bedford Standard Times Columnist, asks “What will happen to all the valuable fish quotas Carlos controls? Will the government let Rafael continue to fish while under indictment for a crime that could put him away for 20 years? Will it let someone else buy up his quota? Does anyone even have that kind of money for groundfishing when it’s so hard to make money doing it?”
In other news the Joint U.S.-Canada Scientific Review Group approved findings that the median female spawning biomass for Pacific hake in 2016 is highest in a decade. The group also rejected a recent claim that Pacific hake landings have been underreported for years. A stock assessment found the biomass totaled 1.828 million metric tons.
Finally, Newfoundland’s inshore cod harvesters who fish in the 3Ps zone protested the DFO’s decision to extend fishing in the region for offshore trawlers. Harvesters with the FFAW fishing union have concerns about the health of the cod stock in the region. “It is absolutely not acceptable when people do not think the resource is doing very well, when they are fishing on spawning and pre-spawning aggregation of cod, when they are not heeding the advice of harvesters,” said FFAW Union President Keith Sullivan.
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