Cecil Whig article Feb 6, 2012

[davidsmith9]

By KELLEY L. ALLEN Special from the Star Democrat |


ANNAPOLIS - Commercial watermen in Maryland could see increased license fees as the Department of Natural Resources tries to close a $3.2 million budget shortfall.

On its website, DNR has a handout prepared for a Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission (TFAC) meeting held Tuesday in Annapolis that showed the deficit, with a proposed solution to raise commercial fees. DNR spokesman Josh Davidsburg said there is no proposal, and if there is, the agency would provide information then.

While the DNR hasn't made any formal proposals, it has floated several ideas on how to get more money from the commercial fishing industry.

"They say the recreational fishery provides 93 percent of what their cost is," said Danny Webster, who is on the fisheries commission and attended Tuesday's meeting. "Commercial recovers 43 percent. They're trying to gain 66 percent more on commercial than before."

DNR officials did not talk about raising license fees at Tuesday's meeting, but did talk about doing away with some services to save money, said Webster, who also is head of the Somerset County Watermen's Association.

"They plan to put a bill in, but I don't know when," Webster said. "They want us to come up with some kind of figure."

Commercial fishermen pay about $450 per person for licenses and some places they fish require two or three licenses, said Larry Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association.

Overall, watermen's expenses are about four times that of 20 years ago, but the price they get for crabs and some other products is the same, said Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fisherman's Association.

"We're just in a position where we can't afford it these guys are barely making it now," said Dean, who is on the tidal fishery commission. "Believe me, it's not a very profitable job right now. It's a tradition. We love it, and just want the ability to work."

Dean said there are certain cases, such as tidal fishing licenses, where fees could increase some.

"That's something we need to take a look at," he said. "We understand the fiscal situation of the state and country overall, but it doesn't mean we have to make up for the ineptness of government spending."

Simns, who also is on the advisory commission, attended Tuesday's meeting. He said DNR is behind, and trying to figure how to make that up.

One idea is having fishermen pay for striped bass tags, which would help, said Simns. Dean said paying for tags could save DNR $250,000.

"Most people are willing to do that," Dean said. "We explained the commercial fishery shouldn't be responsible for the entire deficit. At least I think at this point, they've been willing to study this over the summer. I'm sure there will be another committee formed."

Simns said the commission and the DNR will work this summer on ways to reduce the deficit, and take a look at what fees could increase.

"We're working on some ways to come down on costs for DNR, and make it easier on us," he said. "So many laws and regulations overlap, and it costs a lot to enforce. We're working on ways to streamline.

"I think that will help the situation out, maybe they won't have to raise fees so much. Nobody in government thinks about cutting back on spending, like we have to."

Dean, too, said watermen are examining costs.

"Everybody's in the same financial situation these days," Dean said. "We're looking at our individual budgets the same way they are looking at theirs."

[SteveL]

"Overall, watermen's expenses are about four times that of 20 years ago, but the price they get for crabs and some other products is the same," said Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fisherman's Association.

"We're just in a position where we can't afford it these guys are barely making it now," said Dean, who is on the tidal fishery commission. "Believe me, it's not a very profitable job right now. It's a tradition. We love it, and just want the ability to work."

It is a very sad situation for struggling commercial fishermen. The local prices paid to fishermen for ex-vessel seafood are driven by global, national, and regional competition from both wild and aquaculture products, and at least some of Chesapeake Bay wild fisheries are stressed, much less productive, and therefore far less profitable. The increased cost of fuel alone has changed the business model in recent years, and based on the statement quoted above it seems like we are witnessing the extreme edge of profitability for some commercial fishermen.

How can a commercial fisherman make a reasonable profit today if the amount paid to him for the landed product has not changed in 20 years while costs to catch the product have increased 4 fold!?!

Increased license fees is just one more nail in the coffin, but with or without the increased fee the writing seems to be on the wall for some MD wild fisheries with a very long and proud tradition--sadly the Bay just can't support the fishery in the face of all the human impacts. It is a very sad day for the watermen and for all of us that care about the long-term health of the Bay.

[buckshotgumbo]

I think we should start looking at other links in the chain to help cover these costs. $2 a lb is good money at the dock for rockfish, yet it costs $9.75 at the local fish market I go to. Same as mahi, and other "exotic" species that have all sorts of transit costs, etc attached.
I don't know how anyone can afford to perch fish commercially, I think they'd be lucky to see 25 cents a lb.
If these other links help defray the costs, perhaps the recreational segment wouldn't be as bitter towards the comms.

[Black Irish]

Overall, watermen's expenses are about four times that of 20 years ago, but the price they get for crabs and some other products is the same, said Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fisherman's Association.


I'm throwing the BS flag on this statement. Sure costs have gone up, but no fool would believe their income has remained the same or else the business would have already gone belly up. Too easy to throw around a statement like that from a self-regulated industry with every reason in the world to sell under the table, tax free. For example, the dockside price of picking crabs may or may not have changed, but the cash market price to the public and restaurants has at least quadrupled in the last 20 years. Remember a few years ago when the DNR implemented bushel limits based upon reported harvest history? That caused quite an uproar because so many were cheating/under reporting their catch and got shafted with low bushel limits. Now those folks are staring at new regulations like bushel tags, catch shares and daily electronic reporting. This also adds even more cost to regulate and police the commercial sector, but that's fodder for a new thread.

[BILL H]

If the economy picks up steam and it will, demand for MD seafood products will increase. This current focus on increasing license fees for full time comms who pay 10 times more than recs now but probably earn 1/3 on average, comes across to me as just another way to attempt to put a nail in their coffin by rec organizations. Just wrong. Then you read through ways that MWA offers to try to get their guys to pick up more of the cost.

Jim when you speak of rec and comm costs in the same sentence with earnings, you are comparing apples and anchors. I make nothing from my rec license (don't even keep the fish), and am more than willing to make up the shortfall in costs to the State to manage my hobby.

I am not bitter against comms, but if they want to continue to participate in a low-return occupation because it is a tradition and they love it, I do not see why the general public should subsidize them by picking up the unfunded enforcement costs so they can remain profitable. Sounds like socialism to me.

[Barefoot]

20 years ago, you could get crabs for $10/bu after labor day. Not even close to that now.

Gibby is full of it.

[pitched up]

Actually the middle man "market, resturants, etc" are the ones making the profit, they double, sometimes triple the price paid to the catchers.

[paxfish]

This is the ridiculous statement:

"Overall, watermen's expenses are about four times that of 20 years ago, but the price they get for crabs and some other products is the same, said Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fisherman's Association."

Anybody got a chart of the average price of a bushel of crabs by year?

[kidz]

By KELLEY L. ALLEN Special from the Star Democrat |


ANNAPOLIS - Commercial watermen in Maryland could see increased license fees as the Department of Natural Resources tries to close a $3.2 million budget shortfall.

On its website, DNR has a handout prepared for a Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission (TFAC) meeting held Tuesday in Annapolis that showed the deficit, with a proposed solution to raise commercial fees. DNR spokesman Josh Davidsburg said there is no proposal, and if there is, the agency would provide information then.

While the DNR hasn't made any formal proposals, it has floated several ideas on how to get more money from the commercial fishing industry.

"They say the recreational fishery provides 93 percent of what their cost is," said Danny Webster, who is on the fisheries commission and attended Tuesday's meeting. "Commercial recovers 43 percent. They're trying to gain 66 percent more on commercial than before."

DNR officials did not talk about raising license fees at Tuesday's meeting, but did talk about doing away with some services to save money, said Webster, who also is head of the Somerset County Watermen's Association.

"They plan to put a bill in, but I don't know when," Webster said. "They want us to come up with some kind of figure."

Commercial fishermen pay about $450 per person for licenses and some places they fish require two or three licenses, said Larry Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association.

Overall, watermen's expenses are about four times that of 20 years ago, but the price they get for crabs and some other products is the same, said Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fisherman's Association.

"We're just in a position where we can't afford it these guys are barely making it now," said Dean, who is on the tidal fishery commission. "Believe me, it's not a very profitable job right now. It's a tradition. We love it, and just want the ability to work."

Dean said there are certain cases, such as tidal fishing licenses, where fees could increase some.

"That's something we need to take a look at," he said. "We understand the fiscal situation of the state and country overall, but it doesn't mean we have to make up for the ineptness of government spending."

Simns, who also is on the advisory commission, attended Tuesday's meeting. He said DNR is behind, and trying to figure how to make that up.

One idea is having fishermen pay for striped bass tags, which would help, said Simns. Dean said paying for tags could save DNR $250,000.

"Most people are willing to do that," Dean said. "We explained the commercial fishery shouldn't be responsible for the entire deficit. At least I think at this point, they've been willing to study this over the summer. I'm sure there will be another committee formed."

Simns said the commission and the DNR will work this summer on ways to reduce the deficit, and take a look at what fees could increase.

"We're working on some ways to come down on costs for DNR, and make it easier on us," he said. "So many laws and regulations overlap, and it costs a lot to enforce. We're working on ways to streamline.

"I think that will help the situation out, maybe they won't have to raise fees so much. Nobody in government thinks about cutting back on spending, like we have to."

Dean, too, said watermen are examining costs.

"Everybody's in the same financial situation these days," Dean said. "We're looking at our individual budgets the same way they are looking at theirs."

Right now a lot of self employed businesses are not profitable like it used to be. But small businesses still have to pay taxes, social security, and unemployment costs. Do the waterman pay these?. Cry me a river, it is part of the business to have it tough when the economy has been in the toilet for the last four years. The cost of crabs hasn't changed in twenty years, believe that ? Waterman need to adapt , because if their not making money at all, that's their fault for continueing a heritage thats making them poor. They should pay their share, when the good times were happening, they still didn't pay their share.Their "not now" is code for can't give MD anything to help out, maybe later. Hopefully the economy will rebound to what it used to be, then they will need another excuse, but not now.

[Black Irish]

Tell the real reason why so many states are subsidizing their fishing industries. The reason is because the US fisheries are in terrible shape and collapsing. More fish and shellfish are being harvested at a rate faster than they can reproduce. That's the real reason, not because they 'love' their fishermen and their iconic way of life. The citizens are not making donations to the cause. The subsidies are being sucked out of the state budgets that are propping up an industry that has outgrown itself and the fish are disappearing. Sound familiar here in Maryland? The oysters are gone - subsidize it. The crabs are way overfished - subsidize it. Rockfishing isn't profitable enough - subsidize it.

Times are tough and the teat is drying up. Gas prices are going up over $4 again soon. Only the rich will be buying crabs again this summer. The writing is on the wall.