Trawl nets being stretched and mended in the ‘Net-Yard’ - located adjacent to the Fish Exchange
The F/V Aaron Melissa preparing to offload fresh, Gulf of Maine groundfish at Pier #1 of the Exchange
Baskets of groundfish coming from the hold into the unloading hopper
The Exchange staff verifies individual fish for accurate culling weight using electronic scales
The Exchange staff sorts groundfish by species and cull
The scale master scans, weighs and bar-codes each individual container of groundfish
Containers of groundfish are stacked & iced onto pallets in the backfield and tagged with the bar coded label
Completed ‘lots’ of groundfish are arranged & displayed in the Exchange’s temperature controlled cooler for inspection by registered buyers
The Exchange has one of the largest refrigerated spaces in the State!
Buyers and sellers are seated at the Exchanges auction room computers preparing for the Internet Auction
The Exchange provides after-auction reprocessing services for our buyer clients to expedite shipments to larger metropolitan cities
Exchange staff ‘steaking’ large pollock for boxing and shipment to the New Fulton Market in New York
The Exchange expedites loading buyers and LTL carriers using our fleet of forklifts and powered pallet jacks
The Exchange not only handles just groundfish – but can accommodate large trips of pelagic species – like tuna & swordfish and provides space to unload herring and menhaden harvesting vessels
Boston Globe
August 19, 2019
‘Codfather’ must cease commercial fishing when he leaves prison and pay $3m fine
By Travis Andersen and David Abel
Carlos A. Rafael, the disgraced New Bedford fishing mogul known as “The Codfather,” has been permanently banned from the commercial fishing industry and fined $3 million under the terms of a civil settlement with federal regulators.
The agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration resolves “pending civil administrative claims” against Rafael, 67, and a number of his former captains, regulators said Monday. Rafael, who had owned one of the nation’s largest groundfish fishing fleets before his downfall, pleaded guilty in March 2017 to perpetrating a massive fishing fraud and was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, said the settlement achieves the agency’s “chief objective of permanently removing Mr. Rafael from participation in federal fisheries.” rest of story