Licensing System Eyed

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle announced on Monday that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will host a series of meetings to gather feedback from key stakeholders about the state’s current commercial fishing licensing system and ideas for reforms to modernize and improve the program. 

Among the meetings to be held on Long Island is one next Thursday at 6 p.m. at Southampton Town Hall, at 116 Hampton Road. Another will happen on Tuesday at the D.E.C.’s division of marine resources office in suite 1 at 205 North Belle Mead Road in East Setauket. Another is set for Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, at 3690 Cedar Beach Road in Southold. 

Last year, Mr. Thiele and Mr. LaValle blocked the D.E.C. from continuing the current commercial licensing scheme for another three years. As a compromise, the licensing scheme was limited to one year, and Basil Seggos, the D.E.C. commissioner, agreed to come to Long Island last fall to meet with members of commercial fishing industry.

At that meeting, the industry unanimously supported a challenge to the federal quotas and a demand that the commercial fishing licensing system be reformed to improve access and transferability of licenses. Mr. Seggos promised action. 

In a statement issued on Monday, Mr. Thiele said, “I am pleased to see that the D.E.C. is keeping its promise to support a vital Long Island industry that is getting choked out by poor regulation. Commercial fishermen have long suffered from unfair and inequitable quotas arbitrarily set by the federal government based on faulty data. Additionally, the current regulations related to the transfer of permits and licenses have thwarted the proper operation of this industry.”

“We must resolve these issues with our fishing community at the table in full participation,” Mr. LaValle said in the same statement. “The economic survival of our commercial fishermen must be our ultimate priority. I, too, applaud the D.E.C.’s efforts to fight for fair and equitable quotas and will continue my efforts to protect this vital industry.” 

George LaPointe, a marine fisheries consultant retained by the D.E.C., will facilitate the meetings. A former commissioner of the Maine Department of Natural Resources, Mr. LaPointe will analyze and evaluate the current marine commercial licensing system and provide recommendations on how to improve and revise it.